The Third War Begins
by Maverick95
Summary: Squall is suddenly thrust into another gruelling and vicious war against the might of the G-Army. The new leader of Galbadia wants the whole continent for his own, and Squall soon finds his new opponent has a trick or two up his sleeve... please R&R.
1. One Year Later

This is my first ever piece of writing on fanfiction.net, so I'm pretty interested in seeing how the story unwinds . . . even if I do know what's going to happen. I don't own SquareSoft or any of their characters or stories. SquareSoft is the prettiest of all the rainbows, etc. Now let's get to the damn story.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
As the sky began to darken and the stars appeared in the night, like diamonds on a black tablecloth, Squall Leonhart sighed deeply and lowered his head in exhaustion. He had been awake for twenty-six hours now and a fever of tiredness was spreading over his whole body. He was a leader, and he knew that he had to be strong to savor the morale of his students, his advisors and, especially, his beautiful girlfriend, Rinoa Heartilly. Nevertheless, he could slowly feel the stress, the anxiety and the constant reliance on him by his associates slowly grating his nerves down to a stump.  
  
He felt as though his desires, his emotions and his wellbeing were being stifled by his responsibilities as the Commander of Balamb Garden. For a man as tidy and business-like as Cid Kramer, Squall's old superior and dear friend, the job had fitted like a glove. Squall's hands, however, were too fierce and unpredictable for it to be a perfect match.  
  
What he wanted, what he desired in his life, was to feel the heat of combat again. Just like how it had been in the wars that he had fought against Edea and Sorceress Ultimecia. The fear, the anger, the passion that had truly given his existence a breath of life. He wanted to stand between Rinoa and Irvine Kinneas, an old war buddy of his, as the three of them held strong together against an almost invulnerable enemy. He wanted to stand on the bridge of Balamb Garden, with his friends standing faithfully beside him, as he rallied his soldiers to their feet with a speech that would echo throughout the annals of his life.  
  
'It's a grueling battle, and I'm sure you guys are all exhausted. But I don't want to have any regrets. I don't want anyone to look back and regret this day. So just this once, I want you guys to give everything you've got! For yourselves and for me!'  
  
'Squall?'  
  
He needed to live again, just as she had once taught him to.  
  
'Squall? Are you ok?'  
  
Squall jerked his head out of its slumber and slowly turned around. There was only one person with a voice as angelic as the one he had just heard, and he couldn't show any sort of weakness in front of her.  
  
Rinoa Heartilly was standing in the doorway that led out onto the second- floor bridge. She was wearing her familiar blue cardigan and an expression of genuine concern. Her sleek black hair was now tousled and there were prominent bags under her eyes, but they were invisible to Squall. Whenever he laid eyes on her, he saw only the woman that he had carried on his back down the long road to Esthar and rescued from the dark silence of space. To Squall, she was nothing short of an angel.  
  
'Is something wrong, Squall?'  
  
Squall tried his best to stand tall and gaze thoughtfully at the moon.  
  
'No,' he replied, 'I'm fine. Are the commanders ready to see me yet?'  
  
'The commanders will wait as long as I make them,' said Rinoa. She walked slowly up to Squall, still facing the stars, and placed her hand upon his, 'And I didn't come out here to talk about that, anyway. What I really want to know is why Squall Leonhart, the unchallenged leader of Balamb Garden, is standing out here looking like Seifer Almasy was just declared the Ultimate-Master-Of-The-Universe.'  
  
A small smile began to creep across Squall's face. He quickly smothered it with a stern expression and continued to look away.  
  
'I'm alright, Rinoa,' he said tonelessly, 'You don't need to worry about me. I just needed a bit of fresh air.'  
  
Rinoa sighed, but it was without exasperation. Slowly, she turned him towards her, linked her fingers together behind his back and gazed up into his dark, youthful eyes.  
  
'You know,' she smiled dreamily, 'just then, you really reminded me of how you were when I first met you. Are you going to tell me now that you can't dance too?'  
  
Squall couldn't help but smile now. He had thought a long time ago that moments like this would come to everybody but him. He believed, no, he knew, down in his heart beneath the cold exterior of his SeeD training, that he had found his partner for eternity. His soul mate. Someone that could strike out the darkness, the fear and the worry in his life with nothing more than a smile and a few sweet nothings.  
  
Rinoa quickly noticed the smile breaking out onto his face, and giggled softly with happiness.  
  
'Now that's the Squall Leonhart that I want to see,' she smiled, running one hand seductively through his hair, 'The real Squall Leonhart. That's the man that I love - that I know loves me.'  
  
Suddenly, Squall's headache felt a lot better.  
  
'Thanks,' he whispered back, 'And I'm sorry for how I've been acting. I'll make it up to you, when I finally get the chance.'  
  
Rinoa giggled softly again.  
  
'Squall,' she said, suddenly serious, 'I don't need to see a candlelit table or an expensive wine to forgive you. I love you too much for that.'  
  
The couple's eyes were locked together for what seemed like an eternity. Rinoa was the first to break away. She smiled sweetly, and started to smarten up the collar of Squall's fur-lined jacket.  
  
'So, what's been going on, Squall? Is something really huge happening? You've had lots of meetings behind closed doors lately.'  
  
Squall cleared his throat. This was the easy part for him. He had never had a problem dealing with facts. People could be unstable, irrational or unpredictable, but the facts and the numbers of a thing were constant and emotionless. They existed for one purpose alone - to inform whoever needed to be informed.  
  
The sort of information that Squall, even now, was preparing orderly in his mind wouldn't normally be dispensed freely like packets of sugar at a café. But the notion that he could do anything but trust Rinoa implicitly was, to him, simply insanity.  
  
'Do you remember the time when Matron was possessed by Sorceress Ultimecia?' he began, 'Just before the two Sorceress Wars began, and she killed Vinzer Deling at her celebration parade?'  
  
'How could I ever forget?'  
  
'Well, after we killed Ultimecia and ended the war, Galbadia was in a terrible state. Their old president had been overthrown and killed, many citizens had fled the continent in fear of the Sorceresses' power - the whole system had grinded to a halt. Chaos, panic, confusion. That was how the situation continued to unfold, until about two months ago.'  
  
'What happened then?'  
  
'A new leader was appointed,' Squall continued, 'He was chosen by the highest ranks of the remaining Galbadian military to take on the responsibility of leadership. It was General Caraway, in fact, who eventually appointed him.' Squall felt Rinoa distinctly stiffen at the mention of her father's name. 'Colonel Aifel Massery. He was only a young boy when he joined the Galbadian Army, and he's grown to become one of the greatest military commanders of all time. Age and experience give a man wisdom, and Aifel Massery is apparently the perfect example of this testament. He's determined, he's powerful and he's extremely popular with the people. The military council was convinced that he had the power and the mind to rebuild Galbadia to its former prosperity, and he was chosen as a leader very quickly.'  
  
'Have you ever met him?'  
  
'No, I've never even spoken to him. Massery thinks that Garden and SeeD are hostile towards Galbadia and always have been. To be fair to him, he does have a point. The SeeD force has already fought against the G-Army many times. It seems that he is effectively trying to shut off Galbadia from the rest of the world and refuses to co-operate with Garden.'  
  
'Is that a problem?'  
  
'Well, it wasn't until a week ago. It appears that Massery wants to unite the whole continent and everybody in it. He wants to dominate it, to rule it with an iron fist.'  
  
Rinoa stared intensely at Squall, her brown eyes suddenly timid and serious.  
  
'Why does he want to do that? Does he just want power?'  
  
'Massery believes that he needs absolute control over the entire continent to try and establish any form of order,' Squall continued, 'and he is willing to gain that control by any means necessary. He originally thought that the people would support his plans, but, now, some are resisting. Timber, Winhill and all the other country villages to the south don't want to be part of his plan for Galbadia. Massery knows this. He's apparently plotting already to solve this little problem of his.'  
  
A sudden curtain of silence fell between the two lovers.  
  
'Squall, what do you mean by 'solving the problem'?'  
  
'A request for SeeD was received from Timber at exactly 0333 hours last night,' Squall sighed, 'According to the message, a large unit of the G- Army is making its way across the plains of northern Galbadia and through Roshfall Forest. It's an invasion force, Rinoa. Massery's plans have already been put into action.'  
  
There was a long pause for thought.  
  
'What's going to happen about it, Squall?'  
  
Squall sighed heavily and gazed deeply into Rinoa's eyes.  
  
'I won't lie to you,' he began seriously, 'There've been dark times before and there may well be many more ahead. I'm going to need the full support of both Gardens if I want any chance at all of fighting Massery.'  
  
'Don't worry, Squall,' Rinoa whispered softly, 'We all support you. Everybody here does.'  
  
'I'm not worried. You have to understand, we can't turn a blind eye to this. Wrong is wrong, whoever does it or how much support he has behind him.'  
  
There was a sudden silence between the two as Rinoa recognized, perhaps, the cold glimmer that was now in Squall's eyes and the seriousness of things to come. She had never had the insight or the will to understand the distinct subtleties that lay beneath politics, and her father's constant involvement in the subject had only fuelled her rebellion against it as a little girl. However, the hard lines on Squall's otherwise handsome face and the message in his eyes could say more to her in a second than any of her father's lectures could in a lifetime.  
  
'I wasn't made Commander to shake hands and speak into an intercom. I've fought wars before and I'll fight them again if I have to.'  
  
'Such a big, strong man.' said Rinoa, leaning her head against Squall's chest, 'Don't worry too much about the commanders. You'll get their support - they all respect you. Everybody here does.'  
  
'I hope so.'  
  
'I'll always be here for you too, when you need me. You know that, don't you?'  
  
Squall sighed heavily again. He placed both hands onto Rinoa's shoulders and gazed down into her caring eyes.  
  
'I do know,' he said softly, 'But there are some things that I have to face on my own. It's my responsibility as everyone's leader.'  
  
'Even leaders need help sometimes, Squall.'  
  
Squall smiled, but his eyes weren't smiling along with his mouth. They remained impassive and as cold as steel, and Rinoa knew that he was only trying his best to reassure her.  
  
'Perhaps you're right,' he finished, 'and I'm glad that you came out here to talk to me. I'm ready for the commanders now. Let's go.' 


	2. Decisions, Decisions

'Sir, the preparations for the first stage of the operation are complete. The initial attack force is only a hundred miles from the city of Timber, and the three units of the second attack wave are fully armed and awaiting your orders.'  
  
'Excellent.'  
  
There was a heavy click as the flame of a cigarette lighter was momentarily summoned into existence. Another click, moments later, signified its banishment and demise.  
  
'Order Unit One and Unit Two to be ready to leave by water in twenty-four hours time. Unit Three needs to be spared for now. They will remain stationed in Deling City. Our military strength is unrivalled by SeeD, but I still don't want to take any chances, especially against a man like Leonhart.'  
  
There was a brief, uncomfortable silence as the subordinate shifted his feet and cleared his throat nervously.  
  
'Problems, Worthing? Or has something I ordered offended you?'  
  
The messenger, suddenly fuelled by an unusual bout of confidence, took a deep breath and shuffled forward uneasily.  
  
'Sir - you must understand, sir - I do not wish to speak against your will or q-question your strategies, sir, but - '  
  
'Get to the point, Worthing. And do not care to waste my time or your breath again with unnecessary babbling. I do not tolerate waste.'  
  
'Sir,' the messenger began. 'Do you really consider it - prudent to make such assumptions about Garden and SeeD so early into the operation? Even with all our intelligence, sir, we are yet to pinpoint the exact location of Balamb Garden and our operation - it -'  
  
The messenger's voice stuttered, struggled and finally stalled in his throat, like the engine of an aging car, as his eyes registered a look being directed at him that would make any man seriously consider the idea of crawling under a large rock for the rest of eternity. He decided, instead, to switch into reverse gear.  
  
'I am sorry, master. I-I should not h-have spoken out of turn - I sh -'  
  
'Worthing,' the deep and menacing voice began silkily, 'I didn't ask for your apologies and I certainly wasn't going to. Your courage should be applauded - there aren't many who would speak 'out of turn' in my presence, even if I commanded them to. You agree, Regianus?'  
  
A hoarse, rasping hiss and a heavy fluttering of wings sliced through the shadows in reply. The messenger, quivering at the knees, began to edge away from the dark corner of the room as the hairs on his neck stood to attention like orderly soldiers.  
  
'Courage or not, Worthing, my orders will be carried out to their fullest potential. I am the commander in chief of this army now and anyone who fails to see this, I regard as an enemy. You do know what happens to my enemies, Worthing? Do you want to spend the last few minutes of your miserable life wishing that you had never been born? Does he, Regianus?'  
  
Worthing's confidence had finally shattered like a pane of glass. He was reduced to a whimpering wreck as the eyes of an unseen predator suddenly, frighteningly pierced the darkness that lay between them.  
  
'I know Leonhart in more ways than you could imagine. I know his past, and I know his present. I know his hopes, his dreams, his strengths, his weaknesses - I know how to make him suffer.'  
  
As the flame of the lighter was briefly conjured to life again from the nothingness of the dark, Worthing managed to catch a glimpse of his master's face. The numbness of his lips was the only thing that kept him from screaming at the tops of his lungs.  
  
'Garden WILL crumble! And the world will be mine again!'  
  
'Y-yes, Colonel Massery. Your o-orders will be carried out i-immediately.'  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
'Good evening, gentlemen.'  
  
The pleasant flutterings of idle conversation were quickly silenced as the tall, proud figure marched into the room. Each of the four commanders immediately stood to attention, stern and ever so slightly nervous, as they faced their superior.  
  
'Commanders of Trabia Garden,' greeted Squall formally as Rinoa gave him one last warm smile and slipped quietly into the corner of the room, 'Thank you for agreeing to meet at such a short notice. I apologise for any inconveniences this may have caused to any of you.'  
  
'No need for the apology, Leonhart,' replied Commander Reiken, relaxing slightly in his posture, 'We all realized the seriousness of the situation as soon as we received your message. There was no way we could've agreed not to meet with you.'  
  
'Trabia Garden has been placed on a high alert status for now,' added the youngest and least experienced of the four war hawks, Commander Beasley, 'They are ready to act on our decisions as soon as we make them.'  
  
'Excellent,' said Squall, stepping forward and leaning heavily against a marble pillar, 'Now that the, err, formalities are taken care of -' he paused to allow a hearty chuckle to pass along the rigid line of four, 'we can start going over our real business for tonight.'  
  
Squall abandoned the comfort of the pillar and began to pace the length of the room, back and forth, along an imaginary line. He paused only to smile widely at his four other companions, who were seated side by side behind a table at the back, and laughed to himself quietly at their responses. Zell Dincht, a cocky and arrogant buffoon who Squall had grown to like over the hardships of their adventures, grinned manically and punched the air with a closed fist. Selphie Tilmitt, an energetic young girl and a former student at Trabia Garden, bounced up and down in her seat and waved wildly with both hands. Irvine Kinneas, a fantastic sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden and a self-proclaimed ladies man, nodded back at Squall calmly as he balanced his wooden chair on two legs, rocking steadily backwards and forwards. And Quistis Trepe, a former instructor and a woman who's precise feelings for Squall would always remain a mystery to the world, automatically produced a smile that's warmth failed to penetrate the icy outer layer of her face. These were Squall's greatest friends, a ragtag team of opposites who had supported each other and fought together from the very beginning of the Sorceress Wars. None of the monsters they had battled, nor any of the adversaries they had faced or trials they had encountered, had succeeded in breaking the invisible bond that united them. They were closer to each other now than they had ever been, and they had all paid their dues for the friendship in sweat, tears and blood. As long as they were by his side, Squall would never be truly alone.  
  
Irvine, with a confident smirk plastered across his face, slowly snaked an arm around Selphie's neck and rested it on her opposite shoulder. She was quick to respond, brushing it off and punching him softly in the leg.  
  
'Irvine Kinneas!' she hissed loudly in his ear, 'Behave yourself for once in your life! This isn't a movie we're watching in here!'  
  
'Shame,' Irvine whispered back, 'I was just in the mood for some popcorn.'  
  
Squall smiled. Some things, it seemed, would never change.  
  
'I trust that you've all been kept up to date on the situation?' he said, returning to the matter in hand.  
  
There were nods and general murmurs of approval from the commanders.  
  
'Colonel Aifel Massery is planning to bring Galbadia under the control,' Squall continued, 'and this plan seems to begin with the domination of Timber. At approximately 0333 hours last night, Balamb Garden received intelligence from the Forest Fox resistance group that a force of G-Army soldiers was rapidly approaching the city. The message claimed that the unit had crossed the northern plains of Galbadia at the time of writing and were already making steady progress through Roshfell Forest, on the outskirts of Timber.'  
  
Squall paused to clear his throat and examine the concrete faces of the commanders. He found no signs of objection.  
  
'Although the Forest Fox didn't give approximations,' he continued, 'as to the number of soldiers involved with the G-Army unit, or any indications as to the equipment and artillery that they were armed with, the message claimed that the oncoming force was 'at least twice as large as the independent army currently in control of Timber'. Do we all agree on these facts?'  
  
Another low murmur of approval was passed along the row of leaders like a Mexican wave. Rinoa, watching Squall intently with a glow of pride, marveled at how well he had opened the meeting. She knew her boyfriend well enough to realise that he hadn't intended to dispense hard news to the commanders with his opening speech. They were experienced, responsible men of power and they would already have the facts and numbers tattooed into their brains. His real intention had been to establish common ground with which to build on together by debate, to prevent feelings of awkwardness or one-sidedness arising within them. He needed these men on his side, and to do that he needed to tune into their wavelength quickly.  
  
'Massery's an arrogant fool,' sneered Commander Simons, 'He's mad to think that he can unite a continent as large and divided as Galbadia, and waging war on his own people wouldn't help. This G-Army unit's an empty threat - as soon as Massery realises that Timber're prepared to fight for their freedom, he'll have that unit turn around and march back to Deling City. Personally, I say SeeD should sit back and call his bluff.'  
  
He leaned back, smirking confidently, and waited for the other three alongside him to murmur in agreement. None of them did so.  
  
'It's too risky to make presumptions about Aifel Massery, especially at this early stage,' replied Commander Reiken. His voice rang with an aura of intelligence and thoughtfulness. 'If we held back and did nothing, when Timber specifically asked for our help, what would be the consequences to the people of Galbadia, and the reputation of SeeD, if that unit did become hostile?'  
  
'I'm not saying we should do nothing,' wheedled the pitiful voice of Simons, 'We could order our soldiers to remain on standby, in case Massery does attack Timber. Commander Leonhart could do the same. We could mobilize our forces and retaliate against the G-Army if a bullet from a Galbadian's gunblade touches a hair on a civilian's head.'  
  
'No,' said Squall forcefully, ending his pacing of the room and placing both hands flat on his desk, 'That's not an option. We wouldn't know what kind of state Timber's forces would be in by the time our soldiers could arrive. The G-Army could have burnt all the bodies and marched on over the horizon, to the next village, by then. We can't take any risks with this one, gentlemen. Either we ride it all the way, or the train stops here.'  
  
'Leonhart's right, Simons,' added the last commander, Commander Gilmore, 'Timber asked for our help in fighting Colonel Massery. Either we fight him, with all our strength and soldiers behind us, or we turn a blind eye, but we can't choose an option half-heartedly. At least see that.'  
  
Simons shuffled back shuffled back slightly on his heels and stared grudgingly at the floor, like a mongrel retreating from a fight with his tail between his legs. Finally, it seemed, he conceded.  
  
'All right,' he mumbled, 'I'll admit that much.'  
  
Squall marveled at how such an arrogant and conceited man could have ever risen to the rank of Commander.  
  
'But how do we know if Garden is even able to defend Timber?' continued Simons, clutching at straws to try and save face in the debate, 'We don't have any idea as to how many soldiers are in this 'G-Army unit' of Massery's. The SeeD force could be slaughtered!'  
  
'In fact, Simons,' said Commander Reiken quietly, 'We do.'  
  
A sudden buzz of confusion arose from the row of four commanders as a roomful of eyes turned to stare at the confident figure of Reiken. Slowly, he raised a scarred hand to silence the din, and marched briskly towards a table at the back of the room. On it lay a bright red folder that Squall had failed to notice up until now. Judging by the bewildered expressions on the faces of the other three superiors, he wasn't the only one not in on the act.  
  
'I was going to send a message to you, Leonhart, as soon as this information came my way,' said Reiken, removing a thick wad of black and white satellite photographs from the folder, 'but I felt it would be more efficient to wait until we were all together before I shared it.'  
  
With all the eyes in the room still fixed upon him, he slowly strolled over to Squall's desk and calmly placed the photographs down for him to peruse.  
  
'You're not the only person with powerful friends overseas, Leonhart,' Reiken smiled as he stepped backwards to retake his position in the line, 'You have Laguna Loire in Esthar and General Caraway in Deling City. I have my own sources from Dollet City, who agreed to reactivate their communications dish and obtain those useful satellite photos. As a favor to me, of course.'  
  
Squall was momentarily dazed by the sheer efficiency of a man who was supposed to be below him in the chain of command. Although it figured, he thought, that not everyone would have wasted the day worrying about the impending crisis like he had. As soon as Commander Reiken had received Squall's message regarding Aifel Massery and the G-Army, he had begun building his own bridges towards success. Squall, on the other hand, had stalled at the starting line.  
  
Squall snapped back to his senses. Drawing his gaze away from Reiken, he began to thumb slowly through the thick pile of satellite photographs, doing his best to take in all the facts and figures as he read. The quality of the pictures was excellent. But what attracted his attention the most were the numbers displayed at the bottom of each snapshot. According to the last photograph, which depicted a complete view of a well-organized G-Army unit marching into the heart of Roshfell Forest, Aifel Massery had only dispatched . . .  
  
'Twelve hundred Galbadian Military soldiers for the invasion of Timber,' Squall breathed heavily, a triumphant grin at the edges of his lips.  
  
'Standard trained Galbadian Military soldiers,' finished Commander Reiken.  
  
It was as though the black veil of despair had suddenly been removed from over Squall's eyes. This was exactly the outcome that he had hoping for from the meeting. Surely a man as supposedly brilliant a tactician as Aifel Massery couldn't have left a hole in his plans this gaping . . .  
  
'SeeD can mount a total attack force of at least eight hundred soldiers!' he exclaimed, 'Well trained and experienced soldiers, more so than a standard G-Army unit. This is our chance! Massery can be defeated!'  
  
'Coupled with the independent army that currently defends Timber,' continued Colonel Gilmore quietly, 'We could amass a total army of fourteen hundred troops to fight against Massery's invasion force.'  
  
Squall's elatedness was quickly stifled, however, as Commander Simons stepped forward and cleared his throat dramatically.  
  
'Excuse me, gentlemen,' he retorted, 'but weren't we talking earlier about how we shouldn't make any assumptions about Aifel Massery? And what are you all doing now? How do you know that Massery won't dispatch a force of ten thousand soldiers when he hears that SeeD is helping to defend Timber?'  
  
Squall bit his lip. As arrogant and cocky as Commander Simons was, Squall had to admit that he did have a point.  
  
'Umm . . . I might be able to help you there.'  
  
Once again, all the eyes in the room suddenly swiveled around to fix intensely onto one person. This time, however, the person in question had shoulder length black hair, and was wearing a blue cardigan that hung down to her ankles.  
  
Squall was taken back. 'Rinoa?' he whispered to himself.  
  
Rinoa stepped forward, her fingers linked behind her back and her eyes lowered to stare at the floor. Others may have interpreted this as a gesture of defiance, or boredom, but Squall knew that she was still gathering her courage to speak. He realised at the same time that half of it was down to the fact that he was present.  
  
'Miss Heartilly,' gestured Commander Gilmore friendly, 'Do you have an idea to share with us?'  
  
Rinoa finally raised her head. The penetrating gazes of the four commanders weren't enough to break her confidence as she kept her eyes firmly away from Squall.  
  
'Umm . . .' she began, 'I know that I'm . . . not really a . . . trained fighter, so I can't be help in the battle at Timber . . . if it goes ahead, that is. But . . . I still want to help where I can. I could, umm, go up to the top of the . . . the Shenand Hills, just behind Timber. From there, with binoculars, I could be able to see across the whole of the northern plains. I could . . . just, watch, you know, and radio back if I can see . . . any other G-Army soldiers coming your way.'  
  
There were slight murmurs of interest passed around the room. To Squall, it seemed as though the commanders were taking her idea seriously. He, on the other hand, would have none of it. He took a deep breath and turned to stare straight into Rinoa's eyes, filled now with worry and willingness.  
  
'Thank you, Rinoa,' he said, slowly and clearly, 'but I can't allow you to do that.'  
  
Rinoa was momentarily stunned by Squall's response.  
  
'It's a really sensible thing to do,' she pleaded, attempting to pluck Squall's heartstrings, 'It'd mean you'd have all your SeeDs available to fight the Galbadian unit. And you wouldn't be missing me from the fight, because I'm not a SeeD member, and -'  
  
'Exactly,' Squall cut in, 'You're not a SeeD member. That means I can't involve you in any of our operations, and I wouldn't agree to even if I could. It would make me responsible for your safety, and sending you off alone to play watcher would violate that.'  
  
'But Squall -'  
  
It appeared that Squall's heartstrings had been forged from steel.  
  
'No, Rinoa. I know how much you want to help, but that's my final answer on the subject. I'm sorry.'  
  
He had done it. He had touched a nerve. The worry in Rinoa's eyes quickly clouded into anger and frustration as she stepped forward even further, folding her arms in defiance.  
  
'Squall, do you remember the last thing I said to you before we came into this meeting?'  
  
Rinoa wasn't the only person to be cursed with fury. Squall's, having been forcefully contained in a mental prison for more than a day, suddenly decided to give the bars a vigorous rattle.  
  
'Would you gentlemen excuse me for just one minute?' he said politely, turning briefly towards Commander Reiken. It was more of a statement than a genuine question. 'I won't be long.'  
  
As he took Rinoa's arm, slightly more forcefully than he would have usually, and led her to the corner of the room, Squall could feel a spotlight of attention being focused on him. He could feel the disapproving stares burning into his skin, hear the bitter murmurs being exchanged between the very men that he desperately needed to recruit to his cause. He could feel the worry among his loyal companions, as they watched a relationship that they had encouraged and praised being battered to a pulp before their eyes. He knew that he just humiliated his girlfriend, and that she was definitely angry with him for it - he also knew that he was right. She had to see that.  
  
'Rinoa,' he whispered harshly into her ear, 'This is the time that I need your support more than anyone's.'  
  
'I'm trying my best to help you, Squall,' Rinoa hissed back, 'If you won't let me at least do that, don't expect me to cling to you all the time.'  
  
Squall's fury was now positively rocking its cage backwards and forwards.  
  
'This is exactly the worst time for this kind of thing,' he quivered.  
  
'No, Squall,' whispered Rinoa softly, but with all the force of a two ton truck, 'this is exactly the time for this sort of thing. Before you make any decisions you might regret later.'  
  
Jailbreak.  
  
'Rinoa, how can you even think about doing this?!' he positively spat into her face, 'A whole city of innocent people need our help! And you're slowing down the rescue plans because you actually want to be part of the carnage!? I'm sorry that you're not a SeeD, Rinoa, I really am, and I'm sorry that I can't involve you in this plan too, but it's time to grow up! Stop being such a child, and don't try to ever play the guilt trip on me again when I've got four of the most powerful men in the world to recruit standing in front of me! I need to get them back on my side now, and I pray, for your sake as well as the lives of the people of Timber, that you don't interrupt me again! Is that clear?!' 


	3. Speeches From The Men

'Gentlemen, it has come to my attention that most of you have - reservations about going into battle against Aifel Massery. Against a fierce, brutish leader and commander of an overwhelming military force, capable of destroying SeeD many times over. I want you all to know that, off the record, I agree with you. I share your reservations, and your utmost concern for our soldiers . . . but that's not why I'm here. I'm a commander, as are all of you standing in front of me. We have a role, a responsibility to the world, to be bold and strong in situations that would make other men kneel down and cry for their mothers. Hardest of all, we're the men who have to make the hard choices. We're the men who have to shape the lives and destinies of those below us to our will, like pawns in some twisted game of chess. And, sometimes, we have to make sacrifices for the good of the game. We're the men who have to lead our soldiers into what could possibly be their last moments of existence. In war, we truly are the judge, the jury and the executioner.  
  
'But I'm not the type of man to carelessly throw away lives. I won't do it on a whim. And I ask you now, who would? Who would want to order our courageous young soldiers, the men we spend our lives training, into a war against an enemy that they cannot possibly defeat? Where's the sense in it? If an army of twelve hundred men isn't enough to destroy us, Massery will send ten thousand. If ten thousand doesn't do it for him, he will send fifty thousand. We live in a dangerous world, gentlemen, when a weapon of that power can be so easily controlled, and so easily tossed around a continent, like a rag doll. Like a child's toy.  
  
'I can already see dark days looming on the horizon for all of us, and it's when I look to the clouds that I remember - we're more than a mindless mob. We are SeeD. It's our role, our destiny to stand tall for the weak and uphold the peace in the universe. We have been given the power to vanquish oppression, to conquer persecution, and above all to savour freedom. This is our blessing, and our curse, because if we cannot find a path through the darkness . . . then nobody can. That's why I believe - that's why I know - that we have to do all that we can. For the lives of the people of Timber, and for the future peace of the world.  
  
'We've been asked to defend a city of innocents from an oncoming danger that, without our help, would ultimately seal their own destruction. We've been asked to perform our duties as worthy members of SeeD, and as human beings, to help those dearly in need of it. We have not, however, been asked to declare war on Aifel Massery and the G-Army. We are SeeD. We are soldiers for hire. We have no nation to lose, and no empire to gain. Our only enemies are those that we're called upon to fight against, and we have a role, a duty, to fight those battles that we can, down to the last drops of sweat and blood. This is who we are - this is the destiny that we chose.  
  
'Aifel Massery has dispatched a force of twelve hundred G-Army soldiers to invade, and capture, the city of Timber. Commander Reiken and Commander Gilmore have already shown us that we have the manpower to defeat that force, therefore we must. It's our duty to the world as SeeDs. What if Massery does dispatch another force, to crush what's left of our army, and claim Timber for his own, you ask? A force ten times larger than the first? That shouldn't be our worry for now. What will come will come, and we can decide then whether to meet it or not. I repeat - we are not at war with Aifel Massery. We are not compelled to fight any of his battles. If the SeeD force is outnumbered and overpowered, dishonourable as it may be, we shall have no choice but to cut our losses and remove ourselves from the fray. But until that moment comes, I ask you - no, I beg you - to fight every last fight, to crush every last soldier and to win every last battle.  
  
'Gentlemen, it's time for us to take a vote. To those who would prefer to turn a blind eye to the conflict, ignore our duties as men of integrity, and sacrifice the lives of the innocent to savour our own, vote 'no'. Those who believe that we have the power, the will, the right and the role to stand up to Aifel Massery and fight what he lays before us, vote 'yes' to the battle at Timber.'  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
'So, I guess that's it, then,' Irvine began, in another attempt to penetrate the stagnant fumes of silence that had engulfed the four companions, 'We're going to war again. Just like old times, hmm, Sefie? Guess there won't be any Sorceresses to fight this time around, though. Can't say I'm too bothered.'  
  
'Oh, Irvine, will you just drop it?' replied Selphie exhaustedly, leaning forward on his knee and rubbing her eyes, 'This isn't the time to be thinking about stuff like that! I don't wanna have to fight again, either, but the commander guys made their choice and they're gonna stick to it. We've gotta be there for Squall when he needs us!'  
  
'I know, Sefie, and you know I'll always support Squall, no matter how crazy he ever gets. I'm just trying to lighten the mood here, it looks like you could all use a good laugh.'  
  
'Well, stop trying, okay? We're all really tired right now. Imagine how Squall feels about all this.'  
  
Another short tap from the clock on the cafeteria wall announced to the gang that it was now one o'clock in the morning. None of them noticed the brief intermission that lay between the aeons of silence, and they wouldn't have cared if they had. It had been two long, muted hours since the meeting had finished, and they were all still struggling to catch up with its events. A unanimous decision, from the five main leaders of Garden, to unite with an independent army and defend Timber against the G-Army invasion. At all costs. In just under nine hours, SeeD would be fighting together, as one indivisible force, for the first time in history. Not Zell, Selphie, Quistis nor Irvine could have accounted for the unshakeable feelings of dread that were currently lurking somewhere in the vicinity of their stomachs. They'd all known what Squall's initial intentions were, for he kept no secrets from his closest friends, and this was the eventual outcome that they had all been expecting. But that outcome was war. Was this what Squall had really wanted for them, all this time? Had this been his secret little desire? To lead them all into a playground of terror and bloodshed, wielding a gunblade and his own ruthless persona, to endanger the lives of his very soldiers and companions?  
  
'Yo, guys,' began Zell loudly, raising his head from where it had been resting on his folded arms, 'has anyone seen Rinoa?'  
  
'I saw her at the end of the meeting,' said Irvine seriously, rocking backwards slowly on his chair, 'but she walked off before I got the chance to talk to her. I wouldn't be too enthusiastic about looking for her right now, Zell. If I were you, I'd give her a bit of time to herself. She needs it.'  
  
'What makes you say that?' inquired Selphie, resting her head softly against his shoulder.  
  
'Well, she looked pretty mad,' Irvine continued, 'and this is Rinoa we're talking about. We know how her scales of madness compare to everyone else's. She was fuming. She looked a bit shocked as well. Her face was all white, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears as soon as she got some privacy. I don't know what Squall said to her when he took her into that corner, but whatever it was, it wasn't nice.'  
  
Quistis nodded in agreement. 'I caught a glimpse of Squall's face, when he was talking to her,' she said, 'The look in his eyes . . . I've never seen him that angry, in all the years I've known him. Even Rinoa couldn't compare to that.'  
  
'Yeah, Squall looked pretty pissed!' Zell added, wide-awake now and buzzing with eagerness to gossip, 'What's been up with him anyway - did Rinoa say somethin' bad to him, or somethin'? What's goin' on between 'em?'  
  
The other three turned to stare blankly at Zell, temporarily dumbfounded by his worrying levels of stupidity. They all looked away quickly, collectively groaning and sighing heavily.  
  
'Zell, were you even awake for any of the meeting?' sighed Quistis, a warm smile, nevertheless, beginning to rise at the corners of her lips.  
  
Zell's jaw slackened slightly as he gazed at her dumbly, like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a speeding truck. It wasn't that he was particularly stupid, quite the opposite in fact, but Quistis sometimes got the feeling that if she stared a little closer into his large, blue eyes, currently glazed over with tiredness, she would be looking at the back of his head. Strangely, the thought was quite a comforting one.  
  
'Yeah, of course!' Zell answered loudly, 'I remember what Squall was gabbin' on about at the start! But when those guys really get talkin' . . . man, it makes me sleepy . . .'  
  
Quistis laughed softly to herself, a rare occurrence, even if it was only for a second. Her face, however, remained as it always was . . . strict, proper, organised - an emotionally clean slate.  
  
'But seriously!' Selphie exclaimed. She raised her head from its usual resting place on Irvine's shoulder and looked at Quistis. 'Rinoa can't be mad at Squall now! This is the absolutely baddest time for them to be falling out! If Squall's gonna be thinking about that when we're supposed to be kicking some serious Galbadian butt, he's not gonna have his mind on the battle! What's wrong with Rinoa? I can't believe her!'  
  
'I know what you're saying, Sefie,' said Irvine exasperatedly, stroking her hair absentmindedly, 'and we all agree with you. Squall's got enough problems to deal with right now, without this rearing its ugly head. But this is pretty serious. This isn't something that those two are going to solve over tea and biscuits. It won't go away that easily.'  
  
'Why do you say that?' Quistis asked, frowning.  
  
Irvine slowly turned his head towards her, with a smug and oh-don't-I-know- so-much-more-than-you look plastered across his handsome face. 'Quisty, darling,' he winked smoothly, 'when it comes to knowing what goes on in a lady's head, Irvine Kinneas is always your man.'  
  
Quistis rolled her eyes in disgust. 'I find that hard to believe,' she retorted.  
  
Selphie suddenly snorted in mirth. It was the first time that any of them had seriously laughed, in all the time they had been sitting there. She began to giggle, loudly and uncontrollably, into the depths of Irvine's shoulder. Its owner, on the other hand, looked momentarily stunned.  
  
'Seriously!' he spluttered, desperate to save his argument and, more importantly, his image, 'Hear me out here, guys! I know what I'm talking about!'  
  
'Okay, then, Irvy!' Selphie challenged, struggling to keep a straight face as she stared lovingly into his, 'Give it your best shot!'  
  
'Now, that's the spirit!' Irvine smiled back, 'Okay, then, here it goes. And don't interrupt me in the middle of it!'  
  
'Maybe you should let us all go the bathroom first, then.'  
  
Irvine ignored Quistis' playful quip and cleared his throat dramatically.  
  
'Okay,' he began, slowly. 'We all know that Rinoa and Squall love each other very much - and believe me, that's never going to change. If it hadn't been for tonight's little . . . showdown, we might've been hearing wedding bells much sooner than you'd think. And after what they've been through together, we wouldn't expect anything less from them, right?  
  
'But being in love doesn't mean you change the way you are. It doesn't mean you throw your old personality away. Sure, you might pick up a few extra things along the way, but all your old dreams, your thoughts and feelings, are still tucked away in there. Deep down, Rinoa and Squall are still the same people that they've always been. You following me here, guys? Zell, you still with me?'  
  
'Yo, loud and clear, Romeo.'  
  
'Great. And I hope you can all remember what Squall and Rinoa were like when they were first getting used to each other. You'll know loads more about this than me, Sefie, and you too, Zell - you two've been there right from the beginning. They've been a tricky pair to match, I'll give them that. They've both got their principles, they always have - and they've stuck to them like glue.  
  
'Rinoa feels it's her duty to take care of people. She's always trying to help anyone and everyone who needs it. And Squall . . . Squall's always played the lone wolf, right back from when I first met him. He's an independent kinda guy, trying not to accept help when he can avoid it. I'm telling you, if you went as far as cutting both his legs off, well, you'd have to wait a while for him to ask you for crutches.'  
  
Selphie yawned heavily, finally submitting to the exhaustion and letting her heavy eyelids slide down over her pupils like shutters. She went back to resting her head on Irvine's shoulder. 'What's your point, Irvy?' she groaned.  
  
'Isn't it obvious?' Irvine continued, 'What we're seeing here, guys, isn't just a little squabble over bed-space. This is a fight between two people's solid beliefs - beliefs that they base their lives around. Rinoa'll always try and help Squall as best she can. That's who she is. But Squall's always wanting to be strong for himself, and won't accept her help unless he's got no choice. And him being the head honcho of Garden doesn't help matters. He can't be seen to show any obvious signs of weakness. He's got to be strong- minded and independent. That's his job. Neither of them are ever going to back down over this. I'm telling you, guys, this problem runs deep between 'em. It's not just that they fight over something - they can't actually see how the other person thinks. They don't seem to understand each other anymore . . . and I'll tell you, that's bad. That's really bad.'  
  
Selphie's eyes suddenly flicked open, as though a small imp was operating a switch inside her head, when she realised that Irvine's little speech was over. She slowly sat up on his lap and placed an arm loosely around his shoulders.  
  
'Irvine,' she began seriously, never letting her eyes slip away from his thoughtful gaze, 'I've gotta tell you something. That was probably the smartest thing that anyone's come out with today. All of what you said was, just, so true.'  
  
'You see, Quisty?' Irvine grinned, his confidence now boosted back to its normal levels, 'You can't deny that there wasn't just a bit of truth in that. When it comes to the woes of a good lady's heart, Irvine Kinneas is good in his art! Quisty?'  
  
But Quistis was now too deep in her own thoughts to listen to Irvine's meaningless ramblings about his emotional conquests. Her jaw dropped slightly, and her sparkling blue eyes began to slide out of focus, as she reflected on what he had just shared with the group. Selphie, for once, had hit the nail right on the head, she thought - it was probably the smartest thing that any of them had said so far today.  
  
Rinoa would always be determined to help Squall, in any small way that she could. And Squall would always be determined to cast aside any help offered to him. In a blink of an eye, a multitude of different thoughts, ideas and worries suddenly wormed and squeezed their way into Quistis' once organised mind. Irvine had been absolutely spot-on. Could Rinoa and Squall manage to put their differences aside before the barriers fell, the trumpets sounded and the real conflict began? Where would Squall's thoughts be lying, when his time arrived to lead his faithful soldiers into battle - with the hearts of the innocent citizens of Timber, or with the worry of the growing divide in his own house? How far was Rinoa really prepared to go to answer her heart, and help the love of her life when he needed her the most? And, most importantly, what could she do to help them? What could she do, in the precious little time that they had left, to bring the two together again and focus Squall's mind on the real issue at hand?  
  
'Quisty? You okay over there?'  
  
'I could go and try to talk to Rinoa,' the angel of her soul piped in. 'I'll see if I can persuade her to make up with Squall, before the battle really begins. It's not like I'd be forcing her to do something against her will. That would be wrong. She doesn't have to follow my advice, but the least she can do is listen to what I've got to say. It's the least I can do, too.'  
  
'This isn't your problem to meddle with,' replied the other, darker side to her heart. 'You can't just go forcing your way into people's lives, bossing them around all you like, to get them to do what you want! It's Squall and Rinoa's problem, not yours. Let them deal with it in their own time. You'd only be getting in the way, as usual.'  
  
'I have to help them wherever I can! I'm their friend! I've stood beside both of them since the very beginning! I can't just sit back and watch their relationship fall apart! It's not right!'  
  
'Are you sure that that's what you really want? To see him embracing her tightly again, all hugs, smiles and kisses, to stand and watch them both live happily ever after? Isn't this what you've really wanted, all along? Isn't this what you've been waiting for? You knew, right from the start, that she was never right for him, that they would never last together. She stole him away from you! Why not just stand back, safely, at a distance, and watch their love for each other fall apart? You know that she would do the same. You know that that's what you really desire!'  
  
'No! That's not true! That was a long time ago!'  
  
'Some wounds never totally heal, Quistis. Their love for each other has scarred you. This feeling will never go away, unless you act now to remove it! Admit the truth! You're still in love with Squall! You always will be!'  
  
'No! I'm not!'  
  
All that Irvine, Quistis and Selphie could do was stare, open-mouthed, as Quistis shouted out those last three, little words at the top of her voice. They all sat, in a momentary silence that was identical to the majority of the past two hours, and gaped as she leaned forward harshly in her chair, breathing rapidly and heavily. It wasn't long before their utmost concern for their beloved companion began to kick in. This was Quistis, the adult of the party - the most emotion that she ever normally showed was a small, cold smile and a brief battering of the eyelids.  
  
'Quisty! What's wrong!?'  
  
'Yo, Quistis, what's up with you there!?'  
  
'You ok, Quisty? Was it something I said?'  
  
It wasn't long before Quistis snapped back to reality. 'What am I doing here?' she thought, wildly. 'What have I been doing? There's only eight hours left until the battle for Timber begins! And I've been lounging in an empty cafeteria, indulging in my own petty worries, while my best friends' relationship falls apart!? What have I been thinking!? I should be doing everything that I can for Rinoa! She needs my help!'  
  
'Quisty?'  
  
Quistis stood up sharply and abruptly, causing her chair to tilt backwards and eventually clatter on the tiled floor, sending a gloomy echo resonating into the deepest corners of the cafeteria. She cleared her throat quietly, trying in vain to breathe slowly and lower her pulse rate. There had been enough talking so far today. The time had come to take immediate action.  
  
'This has gone on for long enough,' she said firmly, 'I'm going to go and find Rinoa. We need to talk some sense into those two, before Trabia's SeeDs arrive and our real worries begin. They don't understand! More lives than their own could depend on this now!'  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Okay, I know that this story's trailing at a snail's pace, but the battles are going to be starting soon enough. This stuff's all pretty essential to the main plot as well . . . you'll realise why a bit later on. 


	4. Woman Talk

'Xu, I need you to clear everybody out of the main hall on the first floor, and seal it off from the students. Make sure that every entrance to it covered and guarded, and keep it that way, until you hear directly from me that Trabia Garden's forces have arrived. I want the whole of SeeD to hear my opening speech before we head off into battle. There's simply nowhere else in this Garden that's large enough to accommodate for twelve-hundred people. Try and keep the students away from the top of the main steps, as well, if you can. That's where I'll be standing. If I'm going to make a speech, I want to make it to all of them.'  
  
'Deep down, you always were the dramatic type, Squall. Are you going to need any firework displays organizing, hmm? Entrance music, perhaps?'  
  
'Very funny. Do as I ordered immediately, Xu. You're one of the only people I always expect to pull through for me.'  
  
'Yes, sir. I'll get on it right away.'  
  
'Thank you.'  
  
Squall had finally been freed from the repetitive boredom that had arisen, as expected, from his unavoidable duties of papers, conferences and handshakes. He was back where he belonged again, as the true commander and undeniable leader of Balamb Garden. He was the man in the front seat now, the driver – the pusher of the buttons and the cause of all the actions – and he was secretly enjoying it already. He had always been far too volatile, he'd figured, too swayed and distorted by passion and emotion, to sit behind a desk for a living. Debate, he still obstinately believed, was much too similar to worrying to be a good thing. It gave people something to do, but it wouldn't get them anywhere. Nowhere particularly fast, anyway. As he continued to pace over the gleaming tiles of he third-floor office, dispensing order after precious order to the many students and subordinates gathered eagerly around him, he felt that he was answering his true call from the world again. He was one of the few men bestowed with the mind, the power and the will to make a positive difference in the lives of people across the globe. This was the role, and the responsibility, that he talked about to the commanders in his closing speech. This was his true duty to the world.  
  
'Jennifer,' he began, turning his attention towards an attractive, fair- haired teenage girl, obviously still in her first year of training at Balamb Garden, 'I need you to do something for me. I need you to alert Quistis Trepe, Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmitt and Irvine Kinneas at once. Tell them that I'd like to speak to all of them as soon as possible.'  
  
'Of course, sir. Where should I tell them to meet you?'  
  
'Good question. Let's see . . . I think the empty classroom on the second floor would do nicely for us. Go now, please.'  
  
'Yes, sir. Right away, sir.'  
  
'Thank you, Jennifer.'  
  
Squall sighed heavily and allowed himself a small, tired smile, before continuing the pacing of his office floor. The adding weight of exhaustion, as it combined with the initial burdens of duty and leadership, was really beginning to take its toll on his body. He yawned, loudly and deeply, and took a minute or two to slowly stretch his arms behind his back, cracking his knuckles like the air pockets of bubble wrap. More than anything else, this was to try and keep himself awake, and concentrated; to help him focus on where his attention needed to lie. This was the absolute worst time for his mind to wander, to be whisked up and swept away by the wind of idle thought. Steadily drifting through the air, oblivious, carefree, towards the other issues in his life. Issues like Rinoa.  
  
Rinoa . . .  
  
It was too late. His soul was already afloat. As his nerves finally began to unwind, his muscles slackened and his eyes fixed somewhere on a point buried deep into the office wall before him, Squall could almost vision her ghost unraveling in front of him. The same trailing blue cardigan, the white wings crudely daubed across each shoulder; the pale, dilated skin; the soothing brown eyes, always sparkling, dancing with emotion, whenever he gazed into their pupils; and most of all the face, set into stone in a familiar expression of frustration and irrational fury.  
  
'Squall, do you remember the last thing I said to you before we came into this meeting?'  
  
Yeah, Squall thought to himself, I can remember. I remember exactly what she said to me, word for word. That's how much it meant to me at the time. She said, 'I'll always be here for you, too, when you need me. You know that, don't you? Even leaders need help sometimes, Squall.'  
  
I can remember the other things, too. I remember the fragile quiver in her voice as she spoke it, so softly, and the expression on her face, begging desperately for the answer she wanted. I guess it was frustrating for her to feel so helpless, so inert. All she could do was stand and watch as I withered slowly away in front of her. She had needed me to spill out my emotions to tell, tell her what was really playing on my mind – tell her why I was staring at my shoes when I had the strength and the pride to stare at the stars.  
  
I suppose I should've seen it coming – she's always been that way. That's the reason why I love her so damn much. She's only ever as happy as the people standing around her. Her concern's always so genuine, and so truthful. She's never had any agenda for being the way she is; it's just in her nature.  
  
But she didn't know about me. Not really. She didn't realize that some problems couldn't be solved that easily. They run too deeply in a person's soul, instead of merely scratching the surface, to be that easy. For me, it's already too late. Leave those problems be for so long, and before you know it, they'll have planted their roots firmly into your heart and filtered out the essence of life. They take a long time to dig up and kill. Sometimes their effects will linger forever. But I suppose I didn't help matters by trying to play the rugged, lone-wolf façade. Especially now that so much more is on the line than just my ego. I could've made things so much easier for her. Would it have hurt me so much to open up for just a second, and tell the love of my life why I was standing out there in the first place?  
  
And now I've gone and blown it completely. I've lost her for now, and at the time when I need her most. In eight hours, I'll have an army of ruthless soldiers on the horizon, eagerly waiting to tear the screaming life out of me.  
  
'Hey Squall, come an' take a look at this. Looks like we've got ourselves some good news, for a change.'  
  
What if she was right all along?  
  
No! Squall's brain quickly snapped back into focus, his anger resurfaced, his arrogance refueled. What had he been thinking!? How could he have believed that she was in the right, defying him and humiliating him in front of his commanders like that!? What had she been thinking? Couldn't she see what was happening? Couldn't she see through the thick walls of her own little bubble!? The battle lines had been drawn. SeeD was on a one-way road into darkness. Right now, a war had been born, growing, taking shape – a brutal and vicious war that could, in time, change the fates and lives of every single human being across the face of the globe. And here was Rinoa, breaking into temper tantrums and storming off to her room, like she was a silly little thirteen year old all over again, because she hadn't been allowed to be to the party!? Where was the sense in it? What had happened to the angelic, caring, good-natured Rinoa Heartilly now?  
  
'Hey, Squall, did you hear me? Come an' take a look at this, you're gonna like what you see.'  
  
That's it. I've had it. I can't take this. I can't bear the pressure any more. I'm sorry, guys . . . but sooner or later, I'll have totally lost it. I'm going to go mad soon if I don't get some sleep.  
  
'Squall, are you hearin' me there?'  
  
Just go away . . .  
  
'Hey, Squall, what's up with you there?'  
  
'Squall! Squall, wake up!'  
  
Squall vision, previously clouded to a degree of blindness and oddly distant, as though he were viewing the world through an icy window, was slowly swimming back into focus. He began to blink quickly and heavily as the thin, scrawny silhouette of Nida, the young boy with whom he had passed into SeeD, began to take on a solid shape in front of him. It was a few seconds before he realized that the entire room was staring at him, mouths hanging open in bewilderment.  
  
Squall could only manage to force a pained smile. 'Sorry, Nida,' he began, 'What was it you were telling me again?'  
  
When the sun had fallen from grace that evening and the moon had risen, victorious, to take its throne, the air had been filled with the scent of dread and despair. That had been four hours ago. Now it was at least two 'o'clock in the morning, and things had changed. A cool and refreshing wind gently blew across Rinoa's face, and the stars, it seemed, had been breeding across the face of the sky like cells in a Petri dish. This is beautiful, she thought. So relaxed, so soothing, so calming . . . so, so beautiful. If only she had felt the same way about the things in her life.  
  
She sighed heavily and noisily, half out of weariness and half out of pure frustration. The sad thing was, she wasn't even sure what her frustration was boiling down. It wasn't really frustration at Squall or his 'I'm-the- leader-and-it's-my-duty-to-shoulder-my-own-responsibilities' attitude, nor frustration at how he had so easily cast aside her emotions in as little time as possible, and not at all frustration at how just every opportunity to help him share his great burden seemed to fall flat on its face. It was just . . . frustration. Just that – nothing more, and nothing less. I can guarantee that nearly everybody must have felt that same burst of raw emotion at many points in their life. The same way that the blood seems to bubble just under the fragile surface of the skin; the same incurable restlessness; and the same urge to grab the nearest piece of pottery and throw it into the nearest concrete wall.  
  
She slammed down the catch on her pinwheel (drawing blood from her hand in the process), took aim, and released the trigger. The disc sliced elegantly through the air, tracing out a perfect arc as though it were a sparkler being waved by a child. This time, her shot was perfect . . . it was great . . . it was going good . . . it was cutting it a bit . . . it missed the can that was perched on the tip of the balcony by at least a couple of feet.  
  
'Dammit!'  
  
It was then that she heard muffled footsteps slowly approaching from behind her.  
  
'I was just wondering where I'd find you,' Quistis began. She had come to a stop now, as though she were afraid to take any more steps forward. She was staring at the back of Rinoa's hunched figure, waiting expectantly for an answer.  
  
Rinoa sighed heavily for what seemed like the millionth time. It was drawing close to half past two in the morning. She had been awake now (it seemed more like a decade ago that she had opened her eyes that morning, lying ever so peacefully in his loving arms) for twenty-two hours. Her muscles and limbs were lethargic. Her eyelids were like lead. It was the worst possible scenario for her to be suddenly reeled into a tearful, heart- to-heart conversation with Quistis Trepe; a woman whose emotional spectrum might just push to include a couple of fairly uninteresting colours.  
  
'She might just leave me alone,' Rinoa thought frantically, 'if she gets the message that I want to be alone.' Even as the idea rushed to and fro throughout her head, she knew that its chances of coming true were unlikely. Quistis had obviously gotten the notion into her head that she, Rinoa, was misguided and in desperate need of advice. If all the negative consequences that her actions will have on those around her were explained slowly, in a clear and concise matter, then everything would be nicely sorted out in time for breakfast – and if that was Quistis' outlook on the situation, then it was obviously right, of course. 'Typical Quistis,' Rinoa thought bitterly, 'Unable to relate to a hundred per cent of the human population.'  
  
She only just managed to conjure up a weak smile in reply.  
  
'Hey, Quisty,' she said dully, keeping her eyes firmly away from those of the instructor's. 'Shouldn't you be fast asleep and snoring by now? It's gonna be a big day for all you SeeDs tomorrow.'  
  
Quistis sighed softly and lowered her eyes to the floor.  
  
'Rinoa,' she said calmly, 'At least show me a friend's respect by telling me what's really on your mind. Don't try and fob me off with fake interest. Sitting out here, wallowing in your self-pity like this – you're letting yourself down, Rinoa, and letting us all down with you. This isn't what any of us want.'  
  
Rinoa grimaced. She might have known that Quistis would have been rolling speeches about honour and duty off the tongue.  
  
'I suppose you think I'm letting Squall down as well? Letting him down by telling him the way things are? Letting him down by trying to help him in any way I can? You SeeDs've always had a funny idea about doing what's best! I'm right, Quistis, and Squall knows it. As a friend, you should at least show me the decency of telling me that.'  
  
Even though the two women were a fair distance apart, Rinoa could feel Quistis' whole body stiffen. The sudden coldness that her voice possessed would have frozen over a volcano.  
  
'This isn't about who's right or wrong. It's not that simple anymore.'  
  
Rinoa, however, hadn't been preparing to give up that easily.  
  
'It has everything to do with it! Squall had nothing to lose by accepting my help, and everything to gain! It doesn't matter who's a SeeD and who's not, does it? We've all got the same goal here – to beat the bad guys, and save the day again! It didn't matter to him back then, in those days, that I hadn't passed some stupid field exam! Tell me, Quistis! What's changed between us since then!?'  
  
'Nothing's changed, Rinoa. That's the point. Everything is the same that it always has been. Squall's love for you is as strong now as it was when he was prepared to give up his own life by jumping out into space – maybe even stronger still. Squall will always love you with every bit of his heart, more so than he has ever loved you before. Listen to me, Rinoa. That's why he wants to protect you. That's how much he loves you.'  
  
'I don't need to be shut away from the real world like I'm some sort of princess! I can take care of myself! I got along fine for ages in the Forest Owls before I even met Squall!'  
  
'That's anything but the truth, Rinoa, and you know it. You would have died a hundred times over in the Sorceress Wars if Squall hadn't always been around to save the day.'  
  
Rinoa was suddenly silent – she was already struggling to stay level with Quistis in the argument. She (Quistis) had always managed to maintain that same confident, intimidating power over her.  
  
'Could you really have taken care of yourself when you accidentally abducted Vinzer Deling's body double? Or when you escaped from your father's mansion and tried to suppress Matron's powers with an Odine Bangle? How about when you were left hanging off the edge of Balamb Garden, by one hand, even after Zell and Irvine had done everything that they could've to save you? Or what about the time when - ?'  
  
'Stop it!'  
  
Quistis stepped forward confidently, trying desperately not to look smug about the fact that she had just crushed Rinoa's flimsy arguments into the dust. Not that it had been too difficult for her. It was always only a matter of time before Rinoa's feelings took control of her. Quistis, as cunning and calculating as ever, knew this, and was so far putting her knowledge and past experiences to good use. She had known it ever since the six of them had stepped over the doormat of Caraway Mansion – ever since she had been a witness for one of Squall and Rinoa's playground squabbles. Another of life's little ironies, she thought silently – the only thing you could count on with Rinoa was her unpredictability.  
  
'You need to stop doing this, Quistis Trepe,' she told herself sharply, 'or else it'll catch up to you sooner of later. You didn't come here to boost you own ego by making everybody else feel weak and inadequate.' This time, she definitely knew that she was right. She had gone too far by toying with Rinoa. After all, hadn't she been frantically searching for Rinoa in the past hour to comfort her restless mind, as only a good friend would know how? Hadn't she wanted to reason with her; so that the six of them could stand united, as they had been before, to fight whatever evil chose to cross their path?  
  
'Listen, Rinoa,' she began again, slowly, 'Maybe I don't really understand what you're going through right now. I don't know what it feels like to be as close to someone as you are to Squall. And I'm not supposed to be the bossy parent around here, either. I'm your friend – that's why I came to look for you. I care about you and Squall, Rinoa, I really do. I've never tried to place a wall between the two of you and I'm not trying to now. I'll admit to you now, as a good friend, that yes, I used to be in love with Squall, but that's exactly it, Rinoa – used to be. I love the way that the two of you are so happy together, and nothing, not even my own feelings, are enough to make me try and ruin that.'  
  
Rinoa remained silent, her tearful eyes still fixed on a distant star in the gaping void of the night sky, but Quistis didn't need her to say anything to know what she was thinking as the words left her mouth.  
  
'What I'm trying to say, Rinoa, is that I want what's best for you and Squall. I'm asking you – no, I'm begging you, as someone who cares for you – let this go for now. Make things right with Squall. It's not worth putting everything that you care about on the line . . . just for the sake of being right.'  
  
Quistis' plea was only rewarded with a further silence.  
  
'Please, Rinoa. We're running out of time here. In a few hours, there won't be any turning back for you, or for Squall, either. When this Garden finally touches the ground of Timber, he'll be the first man to step onto the battlefield, and he'll be the last man off it. He made an important choice tonight. He chose to fight this battle to the death, and if I know Squall. I know he won't stray from that in the slightest. He's putting everything on the line by standing up to Massery's threat, including the lives of all his friends – for what? For the chance to fight the same battle at a different place, different time?'  
  
'What are you trying to tell me, Quisty?'  
  
Quistis sighed, and took an equally huge intake of breath. This was proving to be more difficult than she had thought. She had never been the type for making stirring speeches; she'd always preferred to stand in the shadows and let Squall take care of it.  
  
'What I'm trying to say, Rinoa – very badly, I know – is that Squall has to be the most incredible man that I've ever known. And no matter how many times our words seem to bounce off him, or he shuts himself away in his quarters for hours on end, you just can't deny him that. Not when you think back to all the stupid, reckless, and above all, unselfish things that he's done for us in the past. Especially for you. He's as close as anyone can get to being a true hero. Come on – think about it, Rinoa. How long are you going to stay mad at the man who carried you all the way to Esthar on his back?'  
  
Perhaps she wasn't going to be so bad at this at all.  
  
'I'd like to think that I would jump into space, sacrifice myself, to save any of my friends, just like he did. But the sad truth is, I've realized that I wouldn't. I just can't bring myself round to think like that. It takes more nerve than you'd think to carelessly throw your own life onto the table when there's only a shadow of a chance that you'll win back somebody else's. I think that we've learnt more about Squall through that memory than all of our others put together. It goes to show that no one can hide the good in him, not even himself. Sure, I'll admit he can be – well, difficult – now and then, but I still can't remember a time when he's acted without having . . . good intentions. Surely that deserves our support?'  
  
It was only now that the ball was definitely on her side of the court that Rinoa chose to answer. She was still leant defiantly against the furthest wall from the five hundred foot drop into the ocean, with her arms and legs folded like a sulking child, but she finally seemed to have gotten a firm drip on her emotions. Or, at least, Quistis thought so. When she finally began to speak, her voice was clear and steady, and showed no signs of suddenly rising uncontrollably.  
  
'I know you're right, Quisty. I do, I really do. I know how lucky I am to have Squall around to save the day for me all the time. He's done ten times more for me than I'd ever expect, and thirty times more than I'd dare to ask for.'  
  
There was another brief silence as Rinoa quickly ran through in her head what she was about to say.  
  
'But that still doesn't make him right! And it doesn't give him the right to just cast me aside! We can't just ignore the things that someone does wrong, just because of what's happened in the past, or how good they've been to us! Just because Squall's been such a hero for all of us doesn't . . . it doesn't give him the right to do what he wants!'  
  
'I agree. Thinking like that wouldn't get us anywhere. No one has the right to walk over us.'  
  
'So then why should he have the right to do it to me? Why should I just forgive him that easily? Because he chose to go up against the whole of Esthar for me?'  
  
'No, Rinoa,' Quistis replied calmly. 'Because this isn't the time to be worrying about who's right, and who's not. That's what I've been trying to tell you. Squall's trying his best right now to prepare twelve hundred men for a battle that he ordered them into. Half of them might well not make it back. 'How can somebody choose to do that?' you might ask. 'How can somebody possibly order six hundred men to go out and die for you on the battlefield and still keep their pulse rate at normal?' How would you feel, if it came down to it, and that was what you had to do?'  
  
'I-'  
  
Rinoa stuttered, suddenly paralysed by Quistis' tactful question. Her eyes began to fill with shock, a nameless fear, as she perhaps realized for the first time that evening what Squall was really going up against in the name of justice. 'I'd – I'd feel terrible,' she answered finally. 'I'd feel worse than terrible. I'd feel like I'd betrayed them, like I'd cheated them out of their lives. I'd feel like nothing more than . . . than a murderer.'  
  
Quistis nodded her head in agreement. 'I know,' she nodded gravely. 'I'd feel exactly the same way. Anybody with an ounce of good in them would.'  
  
Another brief interval of silence passed between the two women.  
  
'There's not a moment that goes by that Squall doesn't question the decision he made. It was a tough decision to have to make – there were only two outcomes to choose from, and both of them would've had to be paid for in blood. I wouldn't wish choices like that on anybody I know – anybody I've ever known, come to it. Well, maybe one or two . . . but that's not the point. The point is – it takes a real man to pull through something like that. Especially when he knows his closest friends are starting to doubt his choices behind his back. When he knows that the people who'll die for him in the streets of Timber tomorrow are the ones that he's known for most of his life. The nervous ones that he stood beside at the Garden entrance, on his first day here. The giggling ones who threw paper airplanes at him in the back row of junior class. The proud ones that he stood in line with, when Headmaster Cid first congratulated them all on passing into SeeD. Could you name anyone else with the stomach to do that?'  
  
'I guess not.'  
  
Quistis smiled comfortingly at Rinoa's downcast expression. She even went as far as kneeling down beside her and placing one slender, gloved hand onto one of hers, squeezing it reassuringly, like a nursery teacher would do to a sobbing child with battered knees. And just like that, in an instant, it seemed as though all of the bad memories that existed between the two young women – all of the harsh words, the condescending remarks, the lost and stolen loves – had been effortlessly picked up and carried away by the wind. All the differences in personality, or opinion, or lifestyle, or belief, suddenly didn't seem to matter, or even exist, to either of them – nor did the harsher facts of life that Quistis was an accomplished, merited and successful SeeD instructor, while Rinoa hadn't even been able to get halfway through the written exam, or that Rinoa was deeply loved and cherished by a man who's affections Quistis had spent countless years of her young life trying desperately to win. None of it mattered any more. For they were no longer Instructor Quistis Trepe and the future Mrs. Squall Leonhart, but just two little women – just Quistis and Rinoa – holding hands under the eternity of the night sky.  
  
It was Rinoa who chose to break the silence first.  
  
'. . . Okay.'  
  
Quistis quickly came back to reality. She removed her hand from where it rested on Rinoa's and sat down, cross-legged, beside her, suddenly all ears to whatever Rinoa had to say. Could it be that Rinoa Heartilly, the wild card of Balamb Garden's elite six, was finally beginning to show a little sense?  
  
'Hmm?'  
  
'I said okay. I'll do it. I'll make up with Squall.'  
  
Rinoa slowly turned her head towards Quistis', replying to her inquisitive gaze with one of utter seriousness. It took a couple of seconds for Quistis to carefully scan the fixed expression on her face, as though her eyes were capable of using infra-red radiation to detect the presence of unstable emotions, before she realized that Rinoa wasn't about to change her mind again so easily. There were no signs of suppressed anger in her eyes, or in the faint lines running across her face; no pent-up, bubbling feelings of insecurity or jealousness that usually caused the unbalanced arguments to begin tumbling out of Rinoa's mouth like sewage from a drain-pipe.  
  
Quistis was secretly ecstatic.  
  
'Are you being serious!? Rinoa, I'm so –'  
  
Rinoa quickly shot her a look – a look that said there was more to come. Quistis dutifully fell silent.  
  
'I'll make up with him . . . for now. I don't know why I've been so stupid, Quisty! I should've listened to you earlier – you were right, you know. It doesn't matter about who's right and wrong anymore. All that matters is that Squall's got a battle to fight. And what I want, more than anything, is for him to get out alive. So if making up with him's gonna help him do that . . . then I'll do it. It's what's best for everyone that counts. Not just me.'  
  
'Rinoa, I'm – I'm just glad that that's what you want to do.'  
  
'Hold on, Quisty. Don't think that I'll let this one go so easily. Sure, Squall's gonna have me behind him for now. All he's got to worry about now is taking down Aifel Massery. But don't think he's gonna get away with it. When the battle's over, and when he's back on Garden, safe-and-sound – I guess I'll give him a bit of time to rest first – he'll have me to deal with. Beating the G-Army's going to seem like a walk in the park for him. He was wrong, and I'll let him get away with it for now, but I won't let this one lie. You definitely have my word on that.'  
  
Quistis allowed herself to flash a small smile at her friend. 'Don't worry, Rinoa,' she replied. 'I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm just glad everything's finally worked out the way – the way that it should be.'  
  
Rinoa slowly got to her feet, her sky-blue cardigan once again beginning to swing playfully around her ankles. She blushed slightly; perhaps embarrassed with herself over her previous bout of naivety, or maybe she was just overwhelmed with the fact that all of the jigsaw pieces had suddenly fitted comfortably into place. She placed her left hand onto Quistis' shoulder.  
  
'You've been a good friend to me, Quisty,' she smiled in reply, 'even when I haven't done the same for you.' She smiled again. 'I guess I can only make it up to you by . . . giving you some advice of my own.'  
  
Behind her porcelain face, Quistis was slightly uneasy. 'What is it?'  
  
Rinoa's smile was even wider. 'Promise me that you'll kick some serious Galbadian ass.' 


	5. The Greatest Chance

Sorry I've been ages updating, but I was seriously considering whether I was going to carry on writing for FanFiction or not. Well, I made my choice, so here's a brand spanking new chapter for my two faithful reviewers Hiasha and FanFiction Queen, and the rest of you of course. Respect to y'all. Enjoy...  
  
As Zell, Selphie and Irvine stood patiently next to the elevator, waiting for the Commander of Balamb Garden to make his dramatic entrance, it was difficult for them not to be astonished by the sight that lay before them. This was not what the world was used to. SeeD was no longer a scattered, disorganised group of rag-tag mercenaries. The army with no nation to call their own, and no real enemy left to fight. The people of the world would no longer see them as standardised packets of three soldiers, dispatched to fight alone in all the corners of the globe. To the three of them, still looking down on the rest of their kind with a mixture of pride and utmost awe, that was the image of SeeD that they had grown up with. That was the SeeD that Zell and Selphie had fought and conquered a ten-foot high mechanical spider to be a part of. What they saw now would change that picture forever.  
  
Stretching from the Cafeteria entrance, all the way to the library on the opposite side of the hall, was a solid sea of sharp, green uniforms. Rows upon rows of solid, expressionless faces, as the soldiers continued to stand to attention. Once the fountains had been shut off and the pools thoroughly drained, it was amazing how many people could be fitted into Balamb Garden's main entrance. One thousand and fifty-seven, to be precise; it seemed that Squall's previous prediction of SeeD's total fighting force was a slight underestimate.  
  
There were some who would say that SeeD was a large, experienced, but ultimately powerless group; a patchwork of many soldiers, with different beliefs and ideals, loosely sewn together by an ineffective chain of command. There were others who would say half the members of SeeD probably had no idea of what they were really fighting for, or even what SeeD was originally made to fight for. Sure, their members were highly trained since their childhood, and maybe SeeD had played a minor part in upholding the peace these past few years. But, still, they were unreliable and faithless – they only supported those who had the wealth to fund their next paychecks. Just another random bunch of roughneck and hero wannabes, fighting to get their share of the world. Well, it was widely known that the old SeeD had had its flaws. And maybe the old SeeD had been guilty of supporting some, or even all, of these statements. But if these critics could stand, right now, on the topmost steps of Balamb Garden's entrance hall, and look down at the SeeD that Zell, Selphie and Irvine were seeing, then they would at least agree on one thing. The new SeeD was here, it was together – and it was ready to raise the roof.  
  
'I tell you what, Sefie,' smirked Irvine, with a look of satisfaction on his face, 'I wish Aifel Massery was standing next to us right now. I wish he could see what we've got waitin' for him. Come on, you've gotta agree with me. It'd be fun to watch him wet himself.'  
  
Selphie briefly considered telling her boyfriend that it was that kind of thinking that could mean the difference between victory and defeat. She quickly realised, however, that it was pointless – he wouldn't be listening to a word she said. She decided instead that she would tease him for now, punching him lightly in the arm. Irvine was always in the mood for a contest of insults.  
  
'Well, looky who's feeling all confident today!' she smirked back at him. 'Hey, Zell, best double-check the rookie's tied his boots on this time. It'd be embarrassing to see him kissing my shoes when he gets out there!'  
  
Zell smirked in unison. Selphie was obviously referring to Irvine's little incident at the beginning of his SeeD practical exam. Any conversation between the two that had taken place since was bound to include that memory at some point. After spending two hours bouncing off the walls of his designated carrier ship in excitement, his entrance onto the battlefield had been... well, less than spectacular. With Zell, Selphie and Quistis all cheering him on from behind, he had just managed to take two steps across the battlefield before he fell, face first, into the sand, losing his shoe in the process. It had taken him a full five minutes to pull himself together again (while suffering the endless mirth of his supposed friends from behind his back) before he was able to join the rest of his team at the meeting point. Selphie couldn't have cared less that Irvine's performance was described in his report as 'flawless and courageous'. It was that memory that she loved to reminisce on the most – by fate, the one that Irvine tried to remember the least.  
  
Irvine couldn't help wincing. It was obvious the memory was still losing him sleep.  
  
'Ah, Selphie, my sides!' he retorted in mock humour. 'When will the comedienne sit down and write a few newer jokes for us not to laugh at?'  
  
His expression, however, suddenly changed from one of mental anguish to one of shock. He sharply raised his arm to point to something that was behind Selphie's back.  
  
Selphie was slightly put off balance. 'Irvy? What is it?'  
  
Irvine's mouth and eyes widened in fear. 'Selphie!' he cried, 'Watch out! There's a big spider behind you! Looks like you couldn't kill it the first hundred times you fought it! Selphie! Quick!'  
  
Selphie rolled her eyes. 'You idiot, Irvine Kinneas! If you'd have had to fight that thing when we did, you'd know what we all meant. It was a monster!'  
  
'No, wait! It's down! It's dead! Oh no, wait, it's back up again! Oh my God! Is Selphie ever going to finish it off!? Will it ever –'  
  
'Irvine, be a good boy, for once, and shut up now.'  
  
Irvine grinned widely in satisfaction. 'Ahh,' he replied, 'the shameful retort of the defeated! You'd think you'd get used to the feeling of victory after this many times... but Sefie, it only seems to get better.'  
  
'No, seriously, man, she's not jokin',' Zell cut in, 'Jus' look!'  
  
Slightly put out at the fact that his verbal victory was going ignored and unappreciated, Irvine quickly spun on his heels to find out what his two companions had ceased their mockery of him to pay attention to. Both pairs of eyes were staring, unblinkingly, at a point on the shining metal wall that he had just been leaning against. Irvine followed his girlfriend's line of vision to see what could possibly deserve their attention more than him – it didn't take him long to raise his eyebrows in surprise.  
  
The elevator, the only method of reaching the two raised levels of Balamb Garden, was suddenly on the move. For the last three hours, it had been stationary at the topmost level – the area consisting of the control bridge, Squall's office and Squall's quarters. Neither Zell, Selphie nor Irvine had any idea of what business had been conducted there since they had last spoken with Squall. To be perfectly honest, they were content to be ignorant. Despite being both Squall's subordinates and his closest friends, the three seemed to have silently agreed amongst themselves that Squall was in no condition to be unnecessarily bothered. What was left of his concentration needed to be spared for the situations that needed his counsel the most. None of them felt that they were being neglectful, or inconsiderate, of his feelings. They knew that he was caught in a situation where most people would have openly welcomed a little dose of comfort and compassion. They also knew, however, that most people were in no way similar to Squall Leonhart. He was not a man who ached for idle banter, especially when he was only two hours away from unleashing open war upon a town of innocent people. He had serious problems to deal with at the moment, problems that they had neither the mind nor the experience to deal with. If Squall had wanted their company, then he would have asked for it – if he didn't, it was a wise idea to avoid getting under his feet.  
  
Their last brief conversation with Squall had not done anything to raise their hopes. In fact, it had only secretly saddened them all to see their close friend being continuously dragged further into the depths of weariness. His smile, his grin and his confident stance might have fooled others into thinking he was in prime condition, but the pained gleam in his eyes and the heavy bags underneath them told the story of a man who would happily collapse to the floor and fall into an endless sleep, if fate so much as allowed him to.  
  
'Everyone... thank you for coming,' he had begun in an exasperated tone. 'I don't what I would've done without you all with me. I can't say how grateful I am... I guess I'm just too tired. You've stood next to me as friends when I've offered you nothing but coldness in return. I still don't know why you did.'  
  
'Hey, Squall,' Irvine replied, 'we did it because we all cared about you, mate. We knew you were one of the good guys underneath, no matter how much of a jerk you could be. And we know that you're not just an ordinary guy. If you ever our help, all you gotta do is just ask. And if you want us to get the hell out of your way, we'll always be ready to run.'  
  
'Irvine, your absolute subtlety is a quality I've always admired in you,' Quistis mocked coldly from the other side of the room.  
  
Irvine threw a malicious grin back at her – he wasn't one to let Quistis get the better of him so easily. 'You just thought this pretty-boy was all muscles and no heart, didn't you, sweetie?' he replied in his trademark husky voice. 'I can always warm up your soul... the same way I warm up your body each time we meet...'  
  
'Oh, for God's sake, Irvine Kinneas, why can't you –'  
  
'Yo, guys,' Zell cut in, 'Can ya give us a little less talkin', an' a little more 'shut the hell up'? Squall's got somethin' to say.'  
  
The commander of Balamb Garden smiled a weary smile as he wondered how the six of them had ever ended up becoming best friends. 'Thank you, Zell,' he began again. 'Perhaps now that round one's finished, I can continue.'  
  
Irvine and Quistis quickly realised their uncomfortable positions, and immediately withdrew into their respective corners.  
  
'As I was saying, I can't put into words how thankful I am for the support you've given me since we first met. I really can't. Every one of you has done more for me than I ever would've dared to ask – Zell, Selphie, Quistis, Irvine, and R – err –'  
  
It wasn't fun for the other four people in the room to watch their commander stutter and fumble around for the right words, desperately trying not to make any mention of his girlfriend. In his current state, any thoughts of her might destroy him completely. None of them dared to mention their feelings to each other after the meeting, but they were all deeply saddened – sickened, even – to see what the man who's gunblade had twice felled a Sorceress in battle had slowly been reduced to.  
  
It's alright, Squall, thought Quistis, hoping with a trace of absurdity that she had suddenly developed telepathic abilities. You haven't got long to go before she'll make everything right again. She promised me that she would. I truly believed what she said, and I still do. You've got nothing to worry about anymore.  
  
'A – anyway, as I was saying... you've all put in so much effort to help me over the years, and I'm eternally grateful for all you've done. But - I'm afraid that this is the time that I'm going to have to ask for all of your help again. No, Zell... let me finish. I've had a bad day so far, and I'd give almost anything right now to be rid of it. But I know that's not going to happen. I think I've finally realised, after all that's happened today, and everything that will happen, that I'm not as all-powerful as I thought. Ha... it sounds stupid of me to say it even now.'  
  
Squall paused in his plea only to take a deep breath and cover his grimace with a smile.  
  
'I used to think... that I was capable of doing anything. I thought that I could put my body through anything. What a fool I was. I've realised now that I'm only capable of taking only so much pressure – and I think... I think I've finally exceeded that.'  
  
Selphie suddenly felt that Squall was going too far to punish myself.  
  
'Listen, Squall, you don't have to –'  
  
But Squall swiftly raised a hand to indicate that nothing was going to stop him clearing his head of his feelings.  
  
'No, please, Selphie, let me say what I have to. And that's why I'm going to have to ask you to do anything you can now to help. If you don't do it for me, then do it for the people who are going to die in the battle that I'm about to start. Please - do what you can, because... because I don't think I can do any more right now. I don't like having to put burdens like this on people. And I especially don't like having to put it on you guys, after all you've done for me. But I'm afraid... I'm afraid I don't have much of a choice right now. Just, do what you can to help.'  
  
After their brief and unhappy meeting had finally ended, Squall having been swept away by his assistants to deal with another immediate problem, the four remaining friends were unable to break the curtain of silence that had fallen over them again. Each of them was struggling to find a single positive thought to share with the group. They also quickly parted company, preferring not to exchange farewells and desperately trying not to catch one another's gaze. The thought was in front of their faces, and on the tips of their tongues. None, however, had the courage to make that thought audible.  
  
So Irvine, Zell and Selphie had unanimously made a silent agreement to do whatever they could to help share Squall's burden and make his path easier to tread, in any small way possible. This was a delicate operation at best. To have any chance of success, it had to be done without any communication occurring between either Squall himself or, even worse, Squall's all- seeing, all-knowing troupe of advisors, assistants, admirers... whatever they wanted to call themselves. The six friends usually referred to them in private conversation as 'the suits', which was a perfect analogy for encapsulating their ideologies of how operations should be run around the Garden. Consistency and regulations make for excellent efficiency. Facts and numbers are the only sources to be used and trusted. There isn't enough space in the whole of this story to stress just how passionate the friends' hatred of the suits had become. None of them ever wanted to imagine a time when the decisions of Balamb Garden were made by a committee, who's members had never wielded a weapon at another human being, or even set foot on the bloody terrain of a battlefield.  
  
Nevertheless, they were efficient, tireless, organised and oh-so watchful. If any of them, from the highest-ranking SeeD to the youngest first-year student, became aware of any small operation that the three companions were attempting to carry out in the absence of their supervision, the consequences would end up hindering Squall instead of helping him. Whoever they were to deal with would, should such a situation arise, almost certainly be shocked that their actions hadn't been 'fully documented, approved and endorsed by the appointed Balamb Garden Commander'. Just as the one falling domino brings its hundreds of brothers toppling down with it, the situation would have quickly caused nothing less than an explosion of outrage from amongst the ranks of the suits. They would insist on informing the Commander of the 'impending situation' immediately, Squall would have another problem to focus his weary mind onto, and... well, let's just say that it would be better for everyone, especially the man who needed it the most, if they managed to work in secret.  
  
As the elevator continued to descend towards the ground floor and an army of twelve hundred restless men, the three friends felt their prides collectively swell as they realised what they had managed to accomplish under such conditions. The gauntlet had been thrown down to them – and they had answered with vigour. They had been the ones to greet the SeeD force from Trabia Garden, some four hundred of them, as soon as they had set foot onto their Balamb counterpart – they had made their leaders feel welcome. Without further ado, they'd quickly escorted the soldiers into the main hall of the Garden and somehow, Selphie still wasn't sure quite how, had managed to organise a rowdy and restless crowd of over a thousand SeeD men (and women) into what closely resembled an orderly fashion. They'd succeeded in stealthily 'borrowing' the necessary documents, from right under the suits' noses, that told them all they needed to know about Squall's plan of action for defending Timber against Aifel Massery. Finally, they had used this information to organise the entire SeeD army into the different teams, units and battalions that Squall had requested. Thanks to them, a gigantic weight had already been taken off Squall's shoulders in the two hours since their last meeting - time that the suits had spent bustling around the third floor office, hastily producing table after table of meaningless figures and processing minutes.  
  
Squall would definitely be proud of them when he finally saw what they'd done. Selphie, however, wasn't going to allow her ego to make her forget the traces of dread and uneasiness that lay around her heart. Neither she, nor any of Squall's closest friends, had seen or talked to him in the last three hours, through either lack of opportunity or lack of wanting. They could only have made guesses as to how he had used that time. Had he chosen to leave everything in the many hands of his advisors, and took the time to rest his weary body? Or had he continued to work at the same scurrying, frantic pace that he'd managed to keep up for the last twenty-four hours? And most importantly, what sort of condition would both choices leave him in? What effect would his condition have on the many events that were just waiting to fly straight into his face?  
  
Selphie briskly shook herself free from all the negative thoughts that had just bombarded her soul. She knew that she still had a job to do. After exchanging brief nods with the two men on either side of her, the three of them smartly stood to attention and Irvine cleared his throat importantly.  
  
'Soldiers of SeeD!' he called at the top of his voice. Selphie was stunned at how Irvine's normally clear, soothing tone could suddenly be made to echo around every corner of the main hall. 'Stand to attention for your Commander!'  
  
Within seconds, the murmurs of conversation that had begun to float back and forth over the crowd were effectively silenced. A thousand pairs of legs were brought together in unison; a thousand pairs of arms became rigid at the soldiers' sides; and a thousand pairs of eyes were fixed pointedly onto the main platform, where Squall would soon be making his appearance. It was true to say that some of the faces in the crowd were about to get their first glimpse of their personal idol.  
  
Selphie, however, was beginning to feel the wave of sickness gush coldly up to her throat and mouth. The elevator was now mere seconds away from reaching the ground floor - but which Squall Leonhart were they going to see step out onto the platform? Would it be the tall, confident Squall Leonhart, who had lead SeeD to victory before against the overwhelming might of Seifer and Galbadia Garden? Or would it be the Squall Leonhart that they had seen more of in the near past than they'd have ever wished to?  
  
Irvine senses, when it came to Selphie's emotions, seemed to be extremely sharpened. 'Well,' he said, turning his head towards hers, 'here goes nothing.'  
  
His warm smile that followed was detected, appreciated... but unfortunately not returned. Selphie's nerves seemed to have finally gotten the better of her. It seemed that all she could do now was pray for the best... but what were the chances of her prayers being answered?  
  
'Don't worry, Sefie. This is Squall we're talking about here. Aifel Massery must have got a screw loose if he thinks a bunch of his messenger boys are gonna lay a scratch on our man.'  
  
The elevator was coming into view now, descending swiftly like the guillotine that could perhaps put her hopes to sleep. The pulleys and levers began to whine as the brakes came into effect. The metal control panel chimed monotonously. Clunk. The elevator had drawn to a stop with an ominous, hollow thud. Just like the axe does, thought Selphie, when it hits the floor. The doors hissed menacingly as they opened.  
  
The first man to exit the elevator was Squall, strolling calmly out onto the main platform. Apart from the hollow echoes made by his confident footsteps, the entire hall was deathly silent. You could have heard the pin as it fell through the air.  
  
It took Selphie a few seconds to look Squall up and down before she breathed a huge sigh of relief. The man that was stood before her was not the same person that she had seen so far that day. Good God, she thought to herself, what had those suits done with the real Squall Leonhart?  
  
Nevertheless, the real Squall Leonhart was definitely back – and he looked as though he was ready to take on the entire G-Army himself. Everything about him as he strode to the front of the platform, from the shine of his boots all the way up to the gleam in his eyes, projected an image of power and confidence. He was no longer slouched over as though his nose were tied to his feet, but stood tall and straight-backed, using every inch of his height to its full advantage. He had his hands on his hips and one foot on the topmost stair, as though he were stood on the topmost peak of the world's tallest mountain, free to look with awe upon every corner of the globe. His mouth was slightly curved into a cocky half-smile, the bags had disappeared from under his eyes and the fire that had burnt within them had been rekindled. He had the aura of a man with the world at his feet - a man who's immeasurable passion and energy couldn't be, or wouldn't be, stopped by any force in the world, no matter how powerful or intimidating that force could be. He looked like the man that he had been born to be; the son of Esthar's president; the Commander of Balamb Garden - no, even better... the undisputed leader of SeeD.  
  
An' if they ever get round t' makin' a statue of that guy, Zell thought, I'll be damned if that ain't what it looks like.  
  
'Irvy,' Selphie whispered excitedly, 'it's lookin' like you were right! I knew it! Squall's back in business!'  
  
Irvine cocked his head at her and smiled knowingly. 'Hey, calm down, spaz,' he joked, placing one gloved hand firmly over her mouth. 'You don't want to miss the speech that he's about to make. Something tells me that this is going to be a moment to remember.'  
  
As it was, it turned out that as soon as he had finished his last conversation with Zell, Selphie, Quistis and Irvine, Squall had finally chosen to obey his voice of sense, and give himself a much-needed break. It wasn't long before he'd had the chance to fall asleep. He had made his intentions immediately clear to his helpers. He had told them to continue with the excellent work that they were already doing. And then, as a final farewell salute, he had threatened anyone with the mind or the guts to disturb him to 'answer to the gunblade that'll no doubt be pressed against your windpipe'. It wasn't a surprise to find that nobody had chosen to debate with him on that particular policy.  
  
It might be difficult to imagine a person who had the ability to stay awake and alert for twenty-seven hours, and then suddenly spring out of bed again, feeling totally refreshed, after a mere three hours' sleep. It was, in fact, a common skill among most of the members of SeeD that were now patiently waiting for their Commander's speech to begin. Common, yes, but definitely not taken for granted. It was a remarkable skill, one that can only possibly be developed from spending years of sleepless nights, always in fear of a passing shadow and the assassin's knife, aboard the passenger trains of Galbadia. It took a tremendous amount of will power to keep your chin up and brace your eyelids; perhaps the only line of defence that existed against the ever-growing assault of drowsiness.  
  
But every veteran of SeeD had managed to hold out against the barrage. They'd passed the test of staying alive for another day. Squall, Zell, Selphie, Quistis, even Rinoa and Irvine, had all managed to dig deep and outlast the pain, even when it seemed as though every part of the body was falling asleep, one after another. It was that kind of mysterious power and will in its members that had made SeeD the feared force that it was. It was another of those well-respected traits that they claimed were handed out to its members after the field exams, just like the smart uniforms, the prestigious medals and the optimistic payrolls. Sure, they'd all got it. It was a standard thing, if you were good enough to bunk in a single dorm in Balamb Garden. But, on the other hand, so were the scars and the bruises and the cuts and the broken bones that every student had had to endure during their gruelling years of training at the Garden (or, in Squall's case, the gruelling years of picking fights with a certain red-haired egomaniac). They were equally as standard. In fact, so were all the other respectable qualities that a member of SeeD possessed. They were standard as well. But they definitely hadn't come easily to any of them. And it had taken hundreds of days like today to mould Squall Leonhart into the strong and wilful Commander that he was right now. Quite frankly, everybody in that room should have been thankful for the strength that had allowed him to endure the hardships of the day so far. That strength, also, was standard among them – but for a moment, that shouldn't have meant it should go unappreciated.  
  
Squall continued to survey the orderly columns of his army with a look of immense satisfaction on his face. He then broke out of his cocky stance, and began to calmly stroll up and down the length of the platform. When he spoke, his sharp, commanding voice rolled around every corner of the hall, and echoed dramatically as it shot to the high roof above and down again. Except for the times when he was forced to use the intercom, Squall had never had to use a megaphone to make his voice heard to a crowd. Judging by the attention that he was receiving from this particular crowd, it seemed as though he only had to mutter his speech for everybody to hear it.  
  
'This is the greatest chance that SeeD has ever been given!' he shouted at the top of his voice. The hungry gleam in his eyes was shining once again – it was too long since he had last set foot on a battlefield. 'Today is our day! This is the day when we prove to the rest of the world what our force is really made of! SeeD was made to show the world that greed and anger couldn't win the day over justice – and this is the day that we do that with honour! We've all sat on the sidelines for too long. This is the time for us to stand up, and show all the crooked armies out there that they can't ignore us any more! Are we just going to sit back and let a few generals push around the hard-working people and just take the land that they want? Are we!?'  
  
'No!' roared the crowd together, playing their part in Squall's speech with the utmost enthusiasm. Irvine smirked smugly, and shot Selphie a quick wink.  
  
'Today is one of those days that SeeD was born for! Today is one of the reasons for all the hard years of training that we've lived through! And I don't think we came through all of it to just let another power-mad leader like Aifel Massery walk all over us. We have to send the message to the world - to tell all of the generals and leaders out there to think twice before they get any evil intentions. They'll have us to answer to if they do. And as long as we all believe in our victory, we will win the day with honour!  
  
'The G-Army that we're about to go up against has a total of twelve hundred men behind it – we will have a force of fifteen hundred. And I know that most of you have fought against the G-Army before. Some of those kids can't even hold their weapons the right way round, let alone last a second in a hand-to-hand fight with a SeeD! So I think I can say we have a great advantage already, before the battle has even begun. Never think that we are walking into a fight we cannot possibly win! Hope can only exist in our hearts – if we choose to give it up, we will die. But today, you will have no reason to give up hope! For I know that within the walls of Timber, we will give Aifel Massery a small taste of SeeD's true power... and we will outlast him.  
  
'I know that some of the faces I look upon now will not be seen again after the fight is over. Death is an unfortunate part of war that we may have to meet with courage. But I do have a small consolation to give to any of you unlucky enough to meet that fate. It is this – you will have died in the name of SeeD. You will have met your end standing on the side of a worthy cause. You will have died bringing honour to your name! You will have fought to the last breath against tyranny and oppression, and died in the name of justice! And I believe that, if a man's time to die has finally come, he should pray for a death as glorious as that. And that is what you will receive – you will finish life as a hero, and you will receive a hero's death to equal that!'  
  
A fair number of SeeDs in the crowd began to whoop and cheer as Squall finished uttering those last words. Squall took a second to watch and laugh as the volume of the response began to rise, before holding up a hand to indicate that there was more to come. The noise quickly, but regretfully, died down.  
  
Irvine marvelled at how easily Squall's words had roused the army into a state of high morale. Anybody who believed that the outcome of a battle was always decided by the numbers of troops on either side, or by the power of the weapons that each army used, had obviously never played a part in one. There was a force that lay in the hearts of the men on a battlefield, immeasurable by any machine, which could in an instant mean the difference between victory and defeat. A thousand men armed with six-foot long chain guns could easily tremble with shame and fear as they turned their sights onto their enemies. Likewise, a single man with only his gunblade in his hands could cause far more damage, if his heart were armed with the same fearlessness that Squall had just been talking about. The soldiers that stood before Irvine now would all be fighting for a honourable cause, which is more than can be said for their enemies. It was important that they knew what this could mean.  
  
'There's no way,' Squall concluded, when the crowd had calmed down again, 'that we can afford to sit back and choose the easier path through life. Many others will die if we don't. We all know that there is a job for us to do, and I hope that all of you will find it in your hearts to do it with passion. We were made for days like today, and it will be an honourable day for all of you. It'll be a day when SeeD will fight together for the first time in history! It'll be the day when we stand tall against Aifel Massery and his G-Army! And I promise you that it'll be the day we send them to hell and back!'  
  
As his speech drew to its climactic finish, a tumultuous mix of cheering, shouting, stamping, whistling and clapping immediately rose up to create an infectious wave of noise that spread to every corner of the hall. Aifel Massery might not have trembled in fear, had he heard the response of the crowd to Squall's rallying speech – but his soldiers definitely would have. In Squall's opinion, that particular moment was nothing short of breathtaking. This was the outcome that he had been dreaming would happen. Every soldier in the room had to find some way of freeing themselves from the nerves that any human being would develop before stepping onto a battlefield, and he couldn't help but feel his opening words had done the trick. He now had his own loyal army of over a thousand experienced men and women fired up to face whatever enemy may come before them. They were feeding off the energy that his words had sent out into the air; they were worshipping him as though he were something greater than just a mortal man. And for that minute, as he stood at the front of the platform and basked in the wave of noisy attention being directed towards him from every person in the room, he finally felt like a true leader again – he felt like the god of SeeD.  
  
His confident eyes briefly rested upon his three companions at the side of the stage, and he let out a hearty laugh that was unexpected of him. Their own individual responses couldn't have been more predictable. Irvine was, naturally, playing it cool, leaning his back against a marble pillar, clapping softly and slowly with a knowing smirk written all over his face. Selphie was being her usual enthusiastic self by jumping up and down on the spot, clapping her hands high above her head and yelling something incomprehensible at the top of her lungs. Zell was madly hopping from foot to foot while chanting 'Go Sq-uall! Go Sq-uall', using both hands as an imaginary megaphone. And Squall was surprised to see that the four other commanders of SeeD, who had followed him out, unnoticed, from the elevator, also couldn't stop themselves from showing their utmost respect for the younger leader. All four of them – the experienced Reiken, the inexperienced Beasley, the thoughtful Gilmore and the arrogant Simons – clapped until their hands would've stung from any more clapping.  
  
It was a good two minutes before Squall raised his hand again to silence the crowd, and a further minute after that before the noise had completely died down. The moment had been uplifting, definitely, but there were still countless numbers of orders that had to be given out to ensure that Squall's final sentence came true.  
  
'All SeeD members must be ready to move out at 0800 hours,' he continued. 'This gives us only over half an hour to get our act together, so make sure you move fast and think even faster. Look... I know what great soldiers you all must be – I mean, come on, you're SeeDs - and the last thing I'd want to do is patronise any of you. So, instead, prove to me that I won't have to. Remember to make sure that all of your GFs, abilities and magic are junctioned to suit your techniques. This means I'm talking about normal junctions, elemental junctions and status junctions – you never know what tricks the G-Army are going to try and pull next. And make sure that you can junction as many different magic types to both elemental and status defence as possible – you'll find that Cerberus, Alexander and Doomtrain are the best for doing this, if you're lucky enough to even have them. And if anyone feels they need any advice on an area of the junctioning system, don't be afraid to ask anyone else for help.'  
  
Squall couldn't stop himself from wincing as that last sentence left his mouth. This was SeeD, after all, not a first-year primary school class. He could feel the eyes of everybody in the audience collectively rolling, and hear a thousand pairs of feet shift from side to side with impatience. He hated having to subject an army of experienced warriors to Squall's Top Five Tips For Improving Your Battle Skills, especially when some of them may, in fact, have known more about the effects of GFs and junctioning than he did. His advisors, however, wouldn't have let him hear the end of it had he not done so. It was far easier for everybody if the babies got their rattle. But, still, it was embarrassing. He could also hear the other commanders chuckling away quietly behind him, which secretly caused him far more discomfort than his audience's disapproval.  
  
'Well, I'm glad that's over with. Sorry about that. I also know that many of you from Trabia Garden were caught slightly unexpected at having to come here so soon. That's why a temporary shop has already been set up in the cafeteria, and will continue to sell the best items that money can buy, at very competitive prices, for the next thirty minutes. And if any SeeDs from Trabia Garden haven't got the money to afford the items that are on stock – then I know you're lying, and you're not scrounging a single gil from me.'  
  
At least half of the SeeDs in the crowd laughed out loudly at this comment, and a smile rose on the faces of most of the others. It was common knowledge in the outside world that financial ruin would never be a fear among the members of the elite organisation.  
  
'I've been told,' Squall continued, turning towards Selphie, Zell and Irvine and nodding his head in acknowledgement, 'That our total number here today runs to a grand total of one thousand and fifty-seven. Believe me, I'm impressed. It seems that you will all be part of the largest single force that SeeD has ever managed to gather together in its history. That's something for all of you to be proud of.'  
  
'I can also see that you've already been divided into six different units. My people have taken a long time to organise all of them correctly, so I don't want to see any last minute swapping going on. Each unit will have its own commander to lead it in battle, and will act independently of other units' orders. I wish I didn't have to say this as well – but I've seen many people lose their heads on the battlefield, in more ways than one, and I don't want to see it happening to any good soldiers today. Your commander's orders are final. If anybody feels like playing the lone wolf today and going solo, you'll have me to answer to afterwards, if I'm not zipping you up in a body bag. All six of the commanders are intelligent, experienced, and would gladly give you a sore beating for disobeying them – so don't give them a reason to. They're the men, and women, that'll keep you alive today.'  
  
'Unit Alpha will be lead by me. I'm sure I'll be proud of whomever it is I've got. Unit Beta will be lead by Commander Gilmore of Trabia Garden. Unit Gamma will be lead by Commander Simons, formally of Galbadia Garden – so go easy on him today, boys.' Squall paused again to allow the brief flutter of laughter to pass over the crowd. He could hear the steady grating of Simons' teeth from a metre away, but he just couldn't have resisted the opportunity. 'Unit Delta will be lead by Commander Reiken, also of Trabia Garden. Unit Theta will be lead by Commander Beasley, also of Balamb Garden. And last, but by no means least, Unit Kappa will be lead by Balamb Garden's very own... Quistis Trepe.'  
  
The Trabian SeeDs in the crowd were clueless as to why the mention of the last commander caused such a response among the rest of the soldiers. Quite a few male members of the other five units were shaking their heads in disappointment. Their counterparts in Unit Kappa seemed to be overcome with pleasure. Zell, Selphie and Irvine, on the other hand, were left with their mouths hanging open.  
  
'What the!?' Selphie hissed to Irvine when she had gathered her senses. 'Since when did this happen!? Why the – why didn't Squall say anything to us? Why didn't Quisty say anything to us!?'  
  
'Probably to stop you having the kind of mental breakdown you're having right now,' Irvine replied quietly. Despite his usual calm persona, he was secretly taken aback by Squall's decision. 'Don't worry, you're not the only one who's shocked by that. I guess I'm reeling a bit here as well. It seems this guy's always full of tricks.'  
  
'But seriously!' Selphie continued to babble in protest. 'What does Squall think he's do – not that I think –'  
  
'Not that you think that our beloved Quistis would be anything less than a perfect commander?'  
  
'Irvine Kinneas!' The man in question recognised Selphie's 'angry voice' right away. 'Stop tryin' to act so damn cool about this! Squall's just put one of our best friends in charge of three hundred SeeDs! For a battle that's gonna start in two hours! Please tell me you're a least a bit shocked by that! You know Quisty's got no experience doing stuff like this! What's Squall playing at!?'  
  
'Well,' Irvine replied calmly, 'I guess there must be a good reason for it. Squall wouldn't have done it if there wasn't, right?'  
  
'Like what, exactly?'  
  
'Hey,' Irvine sighed in exasperation, turning his full attention towards his girlfriend, 'am I suddenly Squall? Do you see me wearing a fur-lined jacket? Am I now dating Rinoa Heartilly?'  
  
'Okay, okay. I get your point, but –'  
  
'But what, Sefie, dear?'  
  
'Irvine!' Selphie hissed again in frustration. 'This is serious! Can't you see that!?'  
  
'Of course it's serious, my love. I understood that from the way you seem to be shouting at me right now. Don't think you're the only one surprised by this. I'm just as shocked as you are - underneath, of course. I mean, Quisty's my friend, and all that, but I'm not sure at all if she'd make good commander material. The only bit of leadership she's ever had to do before was back when she was an Instructor, and she even got kicked out of doing that. So maybe I'm clueless as well as to what game that guy's playing. But I also know Squall, and I know that he thinks smart – and I know that whenever he does something, he does it for a good reason. Of course, I'm not quite sure what that is right now. It looks like you don't know either. But don't stress over it – we've still got time. I tell you what; we'll take it up with Squall first thing after this speech finally gets finished. Okay?'  
  
Selphie still looked as though there was a traffic jam of words quickly forming inside her head. She stuttered, trying desperately to find the right way of expressing these feelings into a meaningful sentence. She eventually conceded, however, and lowered her eyes to the floor. She batted her eyelashes dolefully.  
  
'I guess you're right,' she sighed, leaning her weary head softly against Irvine's ever-available shoulder. 'Okay – I'll let it go until after this. Thank god I've got you to sort things out for me, Irvy. I don't know what I'd do sometimes without you around.'  
  
Irvine wrapped his arm around her opposite shoulder, drew her closer to him gently and kissed her softly on the top of the head. 'My pleasure,' he smiled. 'It just comes naturally.'  
  
Meanwhile, just as the couple were kicking off with their mild disagreement, it was obvious that Squall hadn't intended to stand around and watch – he still had a long list of orders that needed to be dispensed. By the time that Irvine and Selphie had settled their differences and returned their attention to the speech, Squall was just getting ready to describe exactly what was going to happen in half an hour's time, when the board was finally set for the game to begin.  
  
'At exactly 0800 hours,' he continued, his echoing voice showing no signs yet of growing weary, 'Balamb Garden will be about to pass directly over the centre of Timber, and we should be getting ready to make our first move. I'm going to need everybody to assemble orderly at the front entrance to the south at that time. Yes, we will be entering the city by air - so I hope that none of you are afraid of heights. Besides, who doesn't want to make a dramatic entrance when they can?'  
  
A much briefer, quieter response of laughter rose from the audience.  
  
'I will need all soldiers to assemble in the units that you've already been put into, and form an orderly queue in rows of five each. Unit Alpha will be at the front, lead by me, of course. Unit Beta will be behind us, and so on, all the way to Unit Kappa. As you should all have already guessed, being the great SeeDs that you are, you'll need at least one Float spell in your magic stock if you want to make the jump without us having to clean you off the ground with a sponge. If you don't have any Float spells in your inventory, then don't worry. You can get some from one of the Draw Points we've nicely set up for you in the cafeteria area. You can also ask anyone else to Exchange a spell to your inventory, if you like. Just make sure that you all have at least one before you make your way to the south entrance – because I'll be personally checking everyone's inventory later on.'  
  
Squall quickly turned his back to the audience to confer with Commander Reiken, via the use of sign language. Seconds later, both men nodded to each other, and Squall immediately turned his full attention back to his waiting crowd.  
  
'That's all that I have to say for now,' he concluded. He had judged that a significant portion of the troops was beginning to show signs of impatience. It was time to end his speech on a high. 'I hope that you've enjoyed this as much as you can. More orders will be given out to you all a bit later. In the meantime, make sure you prepare for battle, and prepare well.  
  
'Let me just end by saying what a pleasure it is for me to be the leader of such a fine army. So I want to make sure it stays that way. I don't want to see any playing around from any of you on the battlefield today. Don't forget that any one of those G-Army kids could still take your head off with a good swing. Don't forget to fight the best fight that you can. And, above all else, don't forget to give them a reason to fear SeeD! You're a part of the most dangerous, ass-kicking army on the planet – so go out there today and show it! Make them bleed!'  
  
Another wave of applause, much quieter than the previous response at the end of Squall's opening rally, rose respectfully from the crowd. A few of the more enthusiastic SeeDs were heard to whoop and shout encouragingly at their leader, including, of course, a certain blonde-haired youngster. A group of friends towards the back of the audience began to stamp their feet in an orderly rhythm, hoping that the people next to them would catch on and that the domino effect would come into play. Their efforts, however, failed miserably. The time for morale building had already come, been enjoyed, and gone. Squall's speech was now over - now was the time for the members of SeeD to begin preparing themselves for battle. It was time for their unavoidable fear to settle in.  
  
Was it right for all of Squall's soldiers to feel at least a little worried, or even a little scared, about the dangers that the upcoming battle would bring? Squall believed so. He believed it was always important that the soldiers of any army were not over-confident. Fear would make a person's soul healthy – but only when it came in small doses. Too little fear could make a man become lazy and overestimate his own abilities; both of which were tell tale signs that his name would soon be engraved on a tombstone rather than a medal. Equally, too many nerves could be just as bad on the battlefield, if not worse. A man could suffer a total breakdown from the fear of death and pain that went hand in hand with war. Squall had already seen it happen too many times. And if he didn't succumb to that so easily, it would be difficult for him to swing a gunblade accurately at the enemy, if his limbs were acting as though he'd just downed a pint of coffee.  
  
Fear in the right doses, however, was good. It was healthy. It would keep the soldiers of SeeD alert and wary in the face of danger without causing their bodies and brains to totally seize up. Fear would help to keep them alive today. Now was the time for all of them to begin accepting that fear.  
  
'Zell, Selphie, Irvine,' Squall said, beckoning to his three friends with an outstretched hand. The applause was beginning to die down, and the crowd was showing signs of dispersing. 'I was hoping that you guys would be around here somewhere. What did you think?'  
  
'Listen, Squall, mate,' Irvine began honestly, 'I'd just like to say that I thou –'  
  
'You were great, Squall!' Selphie exclaimed, running over to him and throwing her arms around his neck in a warm, friendly hug. 'It was better than what you did at the Galbadia Garden battle! I am so-so-so sorry that I ever doubted you!'  
  
'Yeah, right on!' Zell agreed, punching the air with his fist.  
  
'Yeah, yeah, whatever it was they said,' Irvine muttered darkly. 'Seriously, Squall. That was great. Five and a half stars to you.'  
  
Squall, his face now buried deeply into Selphie's right shoulder, smiled once again as he marvelled at how he had ever managed to become the trusted friend of such great people.  
  
'Thanks, you guys,' he grinned warmly as Selphie finally let him go. 'I heard about what you did - all the help you put in while I was away. I can't imagine you doing anything greater. Thank you so much. I won't forget what you've done for me.'  
  
'No problem, mate,' Irvine replied calmly. 'Listen, I know this might not be the time for this, I know you're gonna be busy. But me and Selphie were thinking...'  
  
Squall caught on to what it was Irvine was thinking about right away.  
  
'I think I know what you're talking about,' he interrupted smoothly. 'Listen, I've got some business to take care of in the cafeteria, but I'll have a little free time after that. I hope it'll be enough time to explain myself. Can you come with me now?'  
  
Squall didn't wait for an answer from any of his three friends before he began his descent of the main stairs. He could feel the heat of a thousand pairs of eyes burning into him as he did, a thousand concluding expressions forming on a thousand faces. What he didn't know, however, was that they were mostly looks of respect. He didn't know that he was the reason that some of the faces in the crowd had first come to Garden, didn't know that they had endured the trials of passing into SeeD as part of a hopeful dream to one day be like him. He was probably better off not knowing; the thought might only have irritated him. It seemed that he was happy enough knowing that he had just delivered a speech that had made a thousand people stand up and unite in celebration, and had given them a new reason to risk their lives in warfare.  
  
He briskly stepped off the bottom stair, and walked through a line in the crowd with his eyes firmly pointed straight ahead. Irvine, Zell and Selphie shrugged, and quickly raced down to follow him.  
  
More will be on its way soon. Cheers to everyone who's reviewed this. 


	6. The Board Is Set

A salmonella-encrusted takeaway and a near-fatal car crash couldn't stop me from writing for long. This chapter is dedicated to my former driving machine, currently resting in peace at the local scrap yard. Enjoy...  
  
Quistis stamped her feet on the crowded cafeteria floor once again in frustration. It was now a quarter to eight in the morning, and she would've given anything at that moment to stop the larger clock hand on the far wall in its tracks. She was nervous. Even a woman who guarded her emotions as closely as she did couldn't hide it for long. It had been seven hours since Squall had asked her if she would give him the honour of being the sixth commander of SeeD, and the realisation of what her decision would mean had only just hit her. She, Quistis Trepe, a failed instructor and a mediocre SeeD at best, was going to have to be a leader for once in her life. She was going to have to be in charge of three hundred and fifty lives on a battlefield when she wasn't even sure she could take care of her own. If she had been in Squall's shoes, she would've made a point to pick anybody but herself for the job. She was ready and willing to be suffocated by her own fear - it was already warm in the cafeteria as it was.  
  
'Tell me, Squall,' she began once again, 'and be honest this time. Why am I doing this? Why did you pick me out of all the rest? What's wrong with Xu, or Zell, or even Irvine? Why me?'  
  
Squall chuckled to himself and smiled warmly at her. He took a step closer and placed one gloved hand firmly onto her shoulder, his eyes fixed intensely on hers. If he has any fears to deal with about this battle, Quistis thought, he's doing a better job than me of hiding them.  
  
'What makes you think I wasn't telling the truth before, Quistis?' he replied simply. He seemed to have finally gotten out of the habit of calling her 'Instructor'. 'I wouldn't have asked you to do this if I didn't think you were capable. There's nobody around here who'd be any better at this, and that's the truth. You've got some strengths in you that even you don't know about yet.'  
  
Quistis' modesty couldn't stop her from being embarrassed. The colour was quickly rising in her cheeks and a small smile crept across her lips when she heard Squall's compliments.  
  
'Hey, I'm being serious here. I know that you can keep your head straight when you're under pressure. That's what being a commander's all about. Who else do I know that could do that? Zell? Selphie? No offence meant to either of them, but I doubt it. I even might've asked Irvine to do it, if Unit Kappa had turned out to be a all-male squadron...'  
  
Quistis laughed quietly at his last comment. 'I suppose you're right,' she replied.  
  
'Don't suppose, Quistis. Know it. I believed that you were the best man - woman, sorry – for this, and I won't stop believing it soon. You're an excellent SeeD and you were a good instructor, and I don't care what anyone else in this Garden thinks. Hey, you taught me for a while, and I turned out okay, right? Think of that before you start puttin' yourself down. Besides,' he added quietly as an afterthought, 'there'll be a reward in this for you that you might not have thought about.'  
  
Quistis was generally surprised. 'And what might that be?' she inquired.  
  
'I know you couldn't have forgotten about it that easily. Are you ever going to think about getting it back?'  
  
'Squall, what on earth are you talking about? Getting what back?'  
  
'Come on, Quistis,' Squall grinned confidently. 'I know you've got intelligence, so use it. Think back to before the Sorceress Wars – to when you still had your Instructor's licence. When they took it away from you, what half-concocted excuse did they come up with for doing it? Do you remember?'  
  
Quistis remembered, and remembered well. How could she forget? So many painful memories...  
  
'T-they said that I'd totally failed as an instructor,' she said quietly, 'And that I – that I lacked leadership qualities...'  
  
'Exactly,' Squall replied, sounding as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. 'So this is the perfect chance for you to prove them wrong. And after today, they won't have an excuse to keep you out.'  
  
The increasing nerves seemed to have caused Quistis' brain to freeze over. 'I'm sorry?'  
  
Squall sighed in exasperation. 'I like talking to you, Quistis, I really do. You're an intelligent woman. But I can't be hanging around here for too long playing twenty questions, so I'll just be frank with you. If you can prove to everyone that you've got the leadership qualities to be the best commander on the battlefield, then –'  
  
Quistis suddenly caught on. It would take a while, however, for the pleasure of this prospect to really set in. '...Then I'd be able to get my Instructor's licence back,' she finished. After she had uttered those ten words, she was left completely breathless.  
  
'Of course,' Squall added quickly, 'I've been putting in good words for you with the Garden authorities ever since I became Commander, and they're all interested to see you in action. So, if you do a good job of impressing them today, it'll only be a matter of time until your licence is reissued. What do you think?'  
  
'I – er – I don't really –'  
  
'I know how much it really hurt you when you lost that licence. Everyone around here does... even Zell's finally caught on, I think. How good would it make you feel to have it back again? To win it back again?'  
  
Quistis was lost for words. She'd never thought any of the five would've realised how she felt about her career, not in a million years. My, my, she thought to herself, even Zell caught on. And Squall, too. It was ironic, to say the least, that he had brought up the subject - she seemed to remember him telling her to 'go and talk to a wall' when she had brought it up with him. It amazed her how much he had changed over the last two years. What had happened to the one-word answers he used to throw at her, whenever she'd tried to start a conversation with him? How could he have changed so much? Was that all Rinoa's doing? Maybe, she hoped, Squall had a point. Maybe she hadn't been such a bad instructor after all.  
  
'Quistis? What do you think, then? Can I still count on you?'  
  
Quistis had once again become lost in her own thoughts. It took her a few seconds to realise that Squall was still standing in front of her, with a half-hopeful, half-pleading expression on his face.  
  
'Oh, Squall!'  
  
Quistis flung her arms around Squall's neck and embraced him as tightly as she could. It was the only way for her to express the feelings that she couldn't put into words.  
  
Squall was a little more than taken aback. If it hadn't been for his burly physique, she would have thrown him to the ground upon impact.  
  
'H-hey,' he choked from somewhere within Quistis' shoulder, 'you didn't really think we'd forgotten about you, did you? You're our friend. Our best friend, even. It was the least I could do to help.'  
  
Quistis didn't reply. Her head was far too comfortable in its resting place on Squall's shoulder for her to think of a worthy response. A passer-by could've read into it a little too much for her liking - possibly because most of it was true. Sure, Squall was obviously romantically involved, and she had long ago accepted the idea of his undying love for Rinoa. But this was her lifelong crush that was standing in front of her, and a few technicalities didn't mean she had lost her attraction to him just yet. And it definitely wasn't going to stop her enjoying a short moment of intimacy. In fact, if she hadn't sensed every head in the cafeteria turning her way, she was sure she could've stayed in that position forever. When she finally let go and backed away, she felt a little awkward, and extremely embarrassed.  
  
Squall, on the other hand, was as calm and cool as ever. 'So,' he grinned, 'can I take that as a yes, then? I'm running out of arguments fast here. I'll do whatever it takes for you to do it, but I don't want to have to get down on one knee, you know.'  
  
If only, she thought.  
  
Quistis laughed softly. 'Oh, Squall... of course it's a yes. Now that you put it like that. I couldn't ask for anything more. Thank - thank you so much.'  
  
'Hey,' Squall smiled, 'don't thank me too quickly. When you're out there on the battlefield, you might hate me for it.'  
  
'I'm a SeeD, Squall, not an eight year old. I know what a battle looks like.'  
  
'Not one with Zell and Irvine running around in it, I'm sure.'  
  
'I'll keep that in mind.'  
  
Squall rubbed his hands together in satisfaction. 'Wonderful,' he finished. 'So, are we okay here? I wouldn't normally ditch you like this, but there's things...'  
  
His voice tailed off, along with his sentence. It wasn't as much an honest question as a statement. He was the commander of a thousand-strong army, after all. He would've had to leave even if she'd chained their wrists together, dragging her if he must.  
  
Quistis mockingly waved one hand towards him, as though she were flicking away a stubborn piece of dirt. 'We're fine here, Squall,' she smiled, 'Now be off with you. You're too busy to let me keep you. And thank you once again.'  
  
Squall returned her smile with a rare grin before quickly turning away. He had only taken a couple of paces when he stopped, as though suddenly struck by an unusual thought. Surprisingly, he spun around on his heels to face her once again. The smile had vanished, and his face held nothing but an expression of utter seriousness.  
  
'You're a good person, Quistis. You're an outstanding SeeD, and you were a success as an instructor. I've got nothing but good faith in you. So don't try to let anyone convince you otherwise.'  
  
With those final words echoing throughout Quistis' head, he offered her a friendly smile and turned back towards the cafeteria door. She watched him converse briefly with a young, female SeeD for a minute or two before he was roughly accosted by Zell, Selphie and Irvine, and dragged away to the main Garden hall. Quistis, on the other hand, was left momentarily paralysed. She continued to stand alone, in the middle of the bustling cafeteria floor, with her eyes fixed on the swinging doors through which Squall had just left. It was only when she started receiving amused stares from the people around her that she began to think about moving.  
  
Once again, she had been struck with the weight of the fact that Squall had changed beyond all her recognition. Since when had he become so good at raising people's spirits? It suddenly felt like she had been in a coma for the last two years of her life. She grasped a strand of her hair and brought it before her fragile eyes, relieved to confirm that it still held its striking blondness. Well, at least she had two feet firmly in the real world. She wondered, however, what other changes she could have missed, more to amuse herself than anything else. Had Selphie committed suicide? Was Seifer crying to himself, wherever he was right now, at the sudden beauty of the rising sun? Was Irvine a woman? It was while she was musing over the possibilities of that last thought, and what the end result might look like, that she felt a soft tap on her shoulder.  
  
'Umm... I-Instructor Trepe?'  
  
She turned around quickly, surprised at the fact that anybody would have a memory so poor as to refer to her as 'Instructor'. She found herself faced with an interesting sight. A youthful, nervous, and obviously embarrassed teenage SeeD, who she seemed to recall from distant memory having taught at some point in her Instructing years, was standing a couple of feet away from her. Her gaze flickered from his left hand, awkwardly scratching away at the back of his head, to the way his eyes tried to focus on everything in the room apart from hers.  
  
'Yes?'  
  
The boy's expression quickly changed to one akin to that of a tramp being addressed by royalty. His finger were drumming nervously on the cafeteria's counter, and for a second Quistis was torn between feelings of absolute sympathy and utter amusement. The balance was tipped ever so slightly when she noticed that a group of similarly-aged boys, seated around a table in the nearest corner, were avidly watching the pair of them, with grins plastered across their faces. It swung all the way towards the latter, however, when she noticed that money was exchanging hands.  
  
'I-I was just wondering. I've junctioned all my magic already, you know, ready for the battle, b-but I was just wondering if you – you could take a look. Y-you see, just to know what you'd do if you were me, with my magic, a-and, you know.'  
  
Quistis tried to remember the way that she'd seen older women smile at young, muscular bartenders, while on her various travels as a SeeD. She was glad when she copied it down to a tee.  
  
'Of course. Why don't you just take a seat and let me have a quick look at it?'  
  
It was a comforting thought to remember that, no matter how depressed or alone she was feeling, Quistis Trepe still had a fan club – and not many other people around the world could match that statement easily.  
  
Worthing shifted uncomfortably as the heavy iron door swung shut, and the darkness of Aifel Massery's lair ensnared him. A line of perspiration was forming on his forehead, despite the fact that the coldness of the dingy room was already biting into his skin. His eyes darted this way and that. The only light in the room came from a pair of hungry green eyes in what he assumed to be the far corner, ever watching him beadily. He had the appearance and character of a man about to face his own execution.  
  
'Have the troops reached the city of Timber yet, Worthing? Or was the journey too tiring for their poor, feeble legs to manage?'  
  
Worthing cleared his throat nervously.  
  
'Sir, we have just received a radio transmission from Unit Four's main commander. He says that the entire unit is only a matter of minutes away from the outskirts of the city. He – he also says that the troops are ready to fight - w-whenever you may order it, of course, sir.'  
  
'Has Balamb Garden been sighted yet?'  
  
Worthing stalled for a split second. His master's unusual questions always succeeded in placing him on edge. Their random nature was in complete contradiction to Aifel Massery's otherwise calculating military brain. None of it seemed to make sense. Who cared, after all, if the commander could see Balamb Garden from where he was? Was it really going to stop the Galbadian unit from attacking Timber? And why was it so important for him to know about it anyway? But it all had to make sense somehow. It had the weight of Massery's logic behind it, and Worthing had yet to see him make a move that didn't eventually pay off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was as though... as though there was a plan, a plan that his mind just couldn't see, being intricately woven, piece by piece, in between the confusing orders that the Colonel frequently gave. It worried him greatly. But, yet again, so did a lot of things nowadays.  
  
His master obviously sensed his confusion. In Aifel Massery's book, a split second's delay would never go unnoticed.  
  
'Answer the question, Worthing.'  
  
'S-sir, the commander made no mention of any – any -'  
  
'Good. This gives us more time to prepare.'  
  
A flurry of movement from the centre of the spacious cavern, followed by the sound of footsteps, told Worthing that his master had begun to pace the length of the room.  
  
'Tell the commander to hold his men back for now. They will need their rest. They have been travelling for two days across a number of difficult conditions, and a weary force will not stand against SeeD for very long.'  
  
'I – I agree, sir. But –'  
  
'I want the entire unit to begin the full assault on Timber at a very specific time. Whatever the commander protests at you about reaching the centre of city before SeeD do, have none of it. What idea does he have as to the nature of the greater scheme? He is far too feeble minded to grasp the entirety of my plan. Do you think that is too much for you to handle, Worthing?'  
  
Worthing was struck by the dangerous feeling that his master was, for some reason or another, not entirely pleased with him. Maybe it was the obvious stutter in his voice that seemed to go hand in hand with a one-on-one meeting. With anybody else, this wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest – he hadn't come so far in his career by breaking into a gibbering wreck glass whenever a withering look was thrown his way. But with Aifel Massery, it was different. Everything was different. Either you were in his good books, or you were in his dead ones.  
  
'N-no, sir. N-not at all.'  
  
'Good. I want the commander to launch a full-scale attack on Timber as soon as Balamb Garden becomes visible to the unit in the sky. This must be exact, Worthing, do you understand? Not a moment before, and certainly not a moment after. Is this clear?'  
  
Worthing shifted his feet uncomfortably again. Now he was confused. What possible benefits could come from an order like that? He actually wanted the attacking unit to wait until their opponents had arrived? He almost got as far as opening his mouth to protest, but a different set of words ended up coming out as he remembered what had happened the last time he had tried to interfere with his master's plans.  
  
'Yes, sir. Perfectly clear, sir.'  
  
'Good, Worthing,' his master answered silkily, 'You seem to have finally mastered the art of obeying my every command. Loyalty is always a virtue that I will pay handsomely for. My orders seem strange to you, yes? I thought as much. But have no worry for the future, Worthing. For the future is now in the palm of my hand. The board is set, the pieces are in their places, and the pawns have only just begun moving. And this is a game that only I stand a chance of winning.'  
  
Worthing wasn't entirely sure whether it was his turn to speak or not.  
  
'Loyalty, Worthing... loyalty to the right thing can take you a long way in a very short time. Loyalty to me, for example. Leonhart has no chance of standing against my power. Once Garden has been destroyed, SeeD will undoubtedly perish. And once the entire Galbadian continent is under our control, we can amass an army with the power to finally launch our attack against Esthar. Yes, Worthing, our attack. For if you stay loyal to me, loyal to Aifel Massery, then the future will be paved for you in gold. And once I stand unopposed, as the undisputed ruler of east and west, you will be standing at my left arm.'  
  
Perhaps Worthing had been wrong, as he so frequently was. Perhaps his master was more impressed with him than he'd thought.  
  
'Sir,' he replied in a high pitched voice, 't-thank you, sir. Colonel Massery. That is... is more than I could ever ask f-'  
  
'I'm sure it is. And now, Worthing, I place before you another task, another great chance for you to prove your worth to me. All the necessary orders for our victory today have already been given. That is no longer in question. You must act as my voice and my will in my absence.'  
  
Worthing was quickly taken aback. Had he heard his master correctly? 'Your – your absence, sir?' he asked, 'I don't understand –'  
  
His master was already chuckling uncannily from the far corner of the room.  
  
'A good player uses every piece on the board to its full advantage, Worthing,' he replied, in a tone of voice suited for cutting through steel, 'and I am a piece that has far greater powers than all others. My time has come to move. I must leave this place soon.'  
  
He walked over to the darkest corner of his lair, his footsteps echoing eerily from every surface.  
  
'You must ensure that everything continues to run according to my orders. You must refrain from issuing any new orders to any member of the Galbadian army, no matter what anyone else advises you or what new events you may learn of. And you must continue to be a good servant to me, and obey all of my orders. Send the message to the unit commander immediately.'  
  
'Y-yes, sir. Immediately, sir.'  
  
'Regianus, it is time.'  
  
Worthing recoiled in horror until the small of his back was pressed against the large iron doors. His breath seemed to have frozen somewhere in his throat next to his voice box. Maybe his mind had played a trick or two on him, but he could've sworn he had heard something, whatever it was, hiss deeply and menacingly in response to Massery's order.  
  
'Come, Regianus. The next time we meet, Worthing, the full extent of my plan will already have been revealed to you.'  
  
And, with those words, silence claimed the room for its own once more.  
  
After another two minutes of standing in the blackness of Massery's lair, Worthing came to the conclusion that he was now alone in the dark. When his legs finally found the energy they needed to move, he immediately made to leave. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, muttered a few nonsense words under his breath, and left the room quickly before the double doors closed sharply behind him.  
  
A/N ; Well, well. More to come very soon. Victory will be his indeed... but does that mean victory in the battle, or will it be something else? (Well, of course it will be if I mention it like that). Tune in soon... 


	7. Eight Minutes To Timber

Meanwhile, just as Aifel Massery was giving out his last orders to Worthing and preparing to take his leave, Squall was finding it extremely difficult to run and ask questions at the same time. He had darted after his three friends, through the double doors of the cafeteria, and ran almost halfway around the main hall platform before he had the chance to open his mouth.

'What did you say had happened!?' he shouted ahead of him. He quickly rounded the final bend that led him to the Garden directory just as Selphie, Zell and Irvine had reached the top of the stairs.

'We told you!' Selphie yelled over her head as she pounded the elevator call button repeatedly. 'Come on, come on, elevator! It's easier if we just show you. Hurry up, Squall! We haven't got any time left now!'

Squall opened his mouth to say that he couldn't have exactly chased her any faster without a good reason, but quickly thought better of it. He used the last few breaths left in him to take the stairs, three at a time, and dart into the elevator mere seconds before its doors managed to shut him out. His speed, quick as it was, was enough to send him flying straight into both Irvine and Zell, who had moved to the far corners of the elevator.

'Sorry, guys,' he apologised, as Zell was thrown back against the far wall, cursing loudly upon impact.

Irvine rubbed his forehead in agony. 'Oh, don't mention it, Squall,' he winced, 'it's always a pleasure for us when you drop in.'

'Yeah, Squall, it's always nice, y' know,' Zell muttered, 'Yo guys, maybe we should've used the intercom for this after all.'

'Oh, yeah, like Squall is always dead enthusiastic about getting calls from the bridge. He's really going to answer to one of those right away. Way to think outside the box, Zell.'

'Yo, it's just that -'

'Will you two knuckleheads just can it?' Selphie groaned in frustration. She was stood next to the elevator control panel, tapping the button for the third floor repeatedly. 'When is thing gonna start HURRYING UP!? Come on!'

After about the twentieth push of the button, the elevator's gears were finally called into motion, grumbling heavily about it as they worked.

There was a brief bout of silence in the small, confined box of the elevator. Zell was still clutching his sides as a result of Squall's enthusiastic entrance, and Selphie was bent over double, breathing heavily with exhaustion. Squall quickly remembered, however, that he still was no closer to knowing what he was doing in here in the first place.

'So, anyway,' he continued, as soon as he thought everyone had caught their breath, 'couldn't one of you just explain it to me now?'

'We could, you know,' Irvine replied after a minute's thought, 'but trust me, Squall, we'd make it sound a hundred times worse than it actually is. No use in giving you a heart attack before we have to.'

'Just tell me, Irvine.'

'How can I say 'no' to that voice, huh, Selphie? Sorry to break the bad news to you, Squall, but things haven't started today exactly as we'd hoped. The Galbadians have already made it to Timber.'

Silence quickly filled the elevator again.

Squall couldn't decide immediately whether he was taken aback, worried, angry, or whether he had heard his friend correctly. 'I'm sorry?'

'Yeah, I'm sorry too, Squall, but you heard me okay the first time. The Galbadians have already made it to Timber.'

Squall slowly lowered his head in dismay. He drove his fist, with as much power as he could muster, into the nearest wall of the elevator. The force that his blow delivered was enough to make the other three shudder. Luckily for him, though, the walls were fully padded.

'That's exactly what we were thinkin' as well. Listen, Squall. This one really wasn't your fault. I guess the numbers that we got from the satellite system from Dollet were pretty sketchy at best. There was nothin' any of us could've done about it. It was a mess up in the system, nothing more than that.'

Squall was only listening to Irvine with half a mind. The other half was already too busy berating himself to do anything useful. A hundred new questions were being formed in his head every second, all of them depressing ones. How could he have made such a big mistake? How could he have been so stupid? Why couldn't he have realised that the information they had acted so blindly on might have had some degree of error to it? Round and round his head they swam. How was Timber's army holding up against the attack? What sort of condition would their forces be in by the time SeeD had reached the city? Or had Galbadia already conquered Timber and moved on?

How could he have let this happen?

He had been deluding himself – that was the only explanation he could come up with. He had tricked himself into thinking that he could pass himself off as a good leader. He wasn't the hero that everybody seemed to make him out to be. What had he done, after all, in the year since he had taken over control of Garden, that made him worthy of the title of 'Commander'? Had he defend an innocent city against an overwhelming attack by the G-Army, like Cid Kramer had? Had he hell. The only thing he could think of that would be remembered, but not be memorable, was that he chose to distance himself from the inner politics of Galbadia, and allow Aifel Massery to gain the type of power that now posed such a great threat against the people of Timber and Winhill.

Had he really thought that sitting around his office, and giving a hundred orders a day to people who hung on his every word, would make him a good commander? No, he wasn't even capable of that. He had rarely made a decision that hadn't been influenced by one of his trusty advisors, usually either Xu or Quistis. He was a fraud. And he seemed to have somehow fooled everyone into praising him for his mediocre leadership skills... but not himself. Not anymore.

'Come on, come on. How long can it take a large cupboard to move up two floors?'

'Obviously longer than forty-five seconds, Sefie. The third floor is way higher above the second floor than the second floor is above the first. It's bound to take a bit of time. Besides, you should know, you've ridden in this thing thousands of time more than I have.'

'Yo, Irvine, I don't think you were s'posed to answer that. It's one of those... what'cha call it....'

'_Come on, Squall,' _the sensible part of his brain told him. '_Pull yourself together. There're thousands of people counting on you right now to pull through today. So you made a pretty big mistake, but there's one important thing you've forgotten – it's not the biggest mistake ever made, and it certainly won't be the last. And I'll be damned before I say you're a bad commander. You've not put a single toe out of line since you first took the job. Name one other mistake you've made, and prove me wrong. You can't, can you? _

'_So maybe you should've sped things up a bit. Maybe it would have been better if SeeD had reached Timber by now. Big deal. Everybody makes mistakes – probably every single commander of any army that came before you was guilty of mistakes like this. It's the only way people learn. Even you. Things could be better right now... but they could be worse. And right now, given the circumstances, things could definitely be a whole lot worse._

'_Besides, it's not like you know too much about the situation at hand, anyway. All you know about it is what Irvine just told you - that 'the Galbadians have already made it to Timber'. You don't know how badly the Timber army has already been hit. You don't know how the G-Army is going about attacking the city. Hell, you don't even know that they've even attacked the city yet. Did you think about that one before you started beating yourself up over a mistake that wasn't even entirely your fault?' _

'Rhetorical?'

'Yeahh – that's wha' I was talkin' about. A rhetorical question.'

'_So come on! Pull yourself together! The mistakes already been made, and there's nothing you can do to change it. Stand up, be the man you are, and make the best of what you have left! And don't ever waste your time wallowing around in self-pity again. Only a truly bad commander would do that.'_

Squall stepped away from the wall that he'd been slumped against. He raised his head, straightened his back and folded his arms, the intensity in his eyes suddenly rekindled.

'Irvine,' he began, turning confidently towards his friend, 'tell me everything that you know about the situation. What have the G-Army been doing? How are they going about their attack on the city? Has Garden received any word from the Timber army yet?'

Irvine brushed a wayward strand of his golden-brown hair behind his ear, perhaps a tad more dramatically than was necessary.

'Glad you've finally rejoined the living,' he replied coolly, 'To tell you the truth, Squall, we don't know much more about what's happenin' now than what I said before.'

'What you said before was summed up, graciously, into eight words,' Squall retorted irritably, 'Don't you have anything more to report than that?'

He noticed that Irvine's eyes were constantly shifting back and forth, from himself to Selphie and back again. This wasn't right at all. There was something he wasn't being told. And he didn't like that.

Irvine nervously scratched the back of his head before he continued. 'Honestly, we... err... no, mate. We don't have anything else to say. That's it.'

The eerie silence that followed this told the other three people in the elevator that Squall's temper was steadily rising.

'What do you mean, that's it?' he demanded. He had successfully managed to shout at Irvine without physically raising his voice. 'Will someone please tell me what I'm missing here? Firstly, the three of you drag me in here without as much as a word of reason. One of you then calmly tells me that innocent people might well be dying right now because of a stupid mistake that I made today. And then, to top it all off, you turn around, cool as a cucumber, and tell me that 'that's it'? 'That's it'!?'

'Listen, Squall,' Irvine cut in hastily, 'I really didn't mean for it to come out like that. We really didn't want to sound like we're all calm and c –'

'Has the Timber Army contacted Garden yet to ask me, as politely as they can, why the hell I'm not defending their city from attack? How bad is the damage that's already been sustained? Tell me something!'

The three of them quickly exchanged looks that told the other that they would give anything to get out of the conversation as quickly as possible. It was Selphie who finally had the bravery to step forward.

'Squall,' she began, adopting the same tone of voice that a tourist would use when faced with a man-eating tiger, 'I know it must have sounded a bit, well, wrong, but Irvine pretty much answered all your questions before.'

Squall was still entirely clueless. 'What do you mean?'

Selphie sighed, obviously exasperated. 'I'll explain it all from the start for you,' she continued. 'The leader of the Timber army contacted us ten minutes ago, in a panic. He told us that the whole G-Army unit had gathered at a spot roughly five hundred metres from the outskirts of the city. You know, just a few people's homes an' a shop and things like that. After we took a look for ourselves, we came down at once to find you. But, h-here's the thing, Squall. We wanted to know as soon as things got, well, bad. Really bad. So we told the Timber army to get back to us as soon as the G-Army had begun their attack. And we told Nida to send a message to us, over the intercom, as soon as all hell broke loose.'

'And?'

'That's the whole hit of the thing,' Irvine cut in, 'The Timber army haven't contacted us again. The G-Army hasn't as much as moved another foot forward. They haven't fired any bullets. They're just waitin' there, like a big blue infection on the landscape. That's what I meant before when I said 'that's it', Squall. Nothing's happened.'

Squall was, once again, torn between two options. Both seemed equally reasonable. Should he be basking in the sudden bout of good fortune that had been, for some unknown reason, sent his way? Or should he believe what he had just heard? It had sounded too good to be true.

'Selphie? Irvine?' he said, in his calmest possible voice. His temper seemed to have fallen again just as quickly as it had risen. 'I think I heard you correctly just then. Well, rather, I hope I heard you correctly. But I don't understand. None of it makes any sense. Are you telling me that this G-Army unit, the same one that Aifel Massery sent to take over Timber, has reached there before us, but... they're not attacking yet? They're not even doing anything?'

The situation had quickly become too confusing for even Squall to get his head around. He half-expected one of them to suddenly shout out 'April Fool!' at him, and blow a party whistle cheerfully in his face.

Selphie and Irvine, however, merely exchanged a defeated look and shook their heads at Squall.

'Nope,' Irvine answered, trying to make his voice sound a little cheerful, 'Nothing doing. They've been like that for over an hour now. The Timber army's communications systems were scrambled a bit earlier, so it took them about an hour to get that first message to us. That was ten minutes ago. I know what you're thinkin', Squall, because I'm thinkin' exactly the same thing here myself – sounds crazy, don't it? But it's happening. Just wait 'til you see it for yourself.'

As if on cue, the elevator's engines came to a sudden stop, flinging all four of its users to the floor as the mechanical doors opened swiftly.

'Come on, Squall!' Selphie exclaimed, as she picked herself up and dusted the filth from her lurid yellow fighting outfit, 'Do you wanna see this or not!?'

'Of course I do! Why do you think –'

'Then hurry up! Get on the elevator!'

Squall sighed heavily and hurried after her into Headmaster Cid's former office.

The one, powerful thought that was repeating itself over and over again in his mind, as he took his respective place on the elevator, was this – just what was Aifel Massery up to? What could he possibly be thinking about right now? It didn't just mildly puzzle him – it utterly infuriated him. This man was supposed to be one of the greatest military commanders that the G-Army had ever served under. That was what he had heard, at least, from every person he knew that had had the chance to meet him. He was supposed to have the absolute respect of every soldier that obeyed his orders – and he was supposed to rule them, with an iron fist, as the cruel, merciless, but undeniably successful, military leader that he was.

So, if all the speculation and rumours turned out to have some truth behind them, then just what was going on? The question had been nagging Squall occasionally, in the back of his mind, ever since he had been in that meeting earlier with the other five SeeD commanders. It was only now that he had learned of this new situation that the question turned up again in his head, like a bad neural penny. He remembered clearly what he had been thinking when he'd seen how many soldiers Aifel Massery had chosen to send to Timber... surely he couldn't have made a mistake this big? It just didn't add up in Squall's head as a wise move. He wouldn't have done the same if he were in Aifel Massery's shoes. It wasn't like Massery was totally oblivious as to SeeD's actions, as well. Squall knew that he would've always kept a rough idea in his head of how many soldiers were under Garden's command. And he could've easily, with no effort at all, with the slightest flick of his finger, sent ten thousand troops to face SeeD at Timber, and still have enough men spare to sufficiently guard his own borders. It just didn't make any sense.

These same, repetitive thoughts were beginning to worry Squall immensely. He knew perfectly why as well. It wasn't that men of his and Massery's stature shouldn't make mistakes as stupid as that – it was that they didn't. Errors like that were, all snobbery put aside, below them. They just didn't make those sorts of mistakes. It came with the importance of the position. Or, more accurately, they didn't make them without a good reason to. _'Every action a good commander makes,' _Squall regurgitated, remembering the pieces of last-minute advice that Headmaster Cid had given him before his departure, _'is just another step towards his goals.'_ It was this sentence, replaying in his head on a permanent loop, that was worrying him the most.

'_Whatever he's doing,' _Squall thought again, _'he's doing it for a reason. He's doing it because it brings him closer to achieving his goals. Closer to defeating me.'_ But just how did actions like this bring Massery any closer to victory? Was this all part of some complicated, mastermind scheme that he had concocted?

It certainly wasn't an encouraging thought.

On the other hand, though, perhaps he had been looking into this news a bit too deeply. Maybe it didn't add up to any mystical conspiracy for victory after all. Maybe he was making mountains out of molehills. There might be a perfect logical reason for what his opponent had done. There had to be.

It was after another two seconds of deep thought that the worried expression was suddenly wiped from Squall's brow. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of it before?

The G-Army unit that was attacking Timber had travelled over a significant stretch of land in the past two days. The exact distance, he was sure, lay somewhere between thirty and forty miles. This was a long, long way to travel. It was definitely no walk in the park, even for a highly trained military unit. They would, predictably, be worn-out from the strain of their journey, not to mention all of the equipment that they would've had to transport as well. All of his worrying thoughts quickly dissolved into nothingness. The answer was so simple. It didn't take a military commander to work out that a unit of tired soldiers, with generally low morale, stood a lesser chance of winning a fierce battle than if they were refreshed, and ready to fight. It was so obvious, in fact, that Squall cursed himself mentally for jumping to his own imaginative conclusions so rashly.

'_Of course that's why he's done it,'_ he thought again, with a relieved smile spreading across his face. _'His men are tired from the journey, and he wants them to be at their full strength before he takes on the whole of SeeD. He's doesn't want to take any chances against us. It's only logical, after all. In fact, it's probably what I would have done.'_

He shuffled his feet in impatience. He wished for the millionth time that the Garden's elevators worked faster than they did.

Yes... that had to be it. That had to be the answer to his problem.

With that said and done, however, another question was still awake, and uncomfortably gnawing away at Squall's conscience. What possessed Aifel Massery to send such a small number of troops to Timber in the first place?

His thoughts, however, were interrupted once again as the elevator reached the Garden's main bridge. It came to a stop with a heavy clunk, thankfully with less force than the last elevator had. As the four friends hopped off the metal platform, before it quickly descended again, Squall saw that Nida was just putting the finishing touches to the Garden's final course.

Nida realised at once that he had company to deal with. He took his attention away from the main control panel and focused it on Squall instead, flashing one of his familiar, nervous grins.

'Hey, Squall,' he greeted cheerfully. 'How are things goin' below? Heard you weren't feelin' too good earlier. That true?'

'Well –'

'Hope it's cleared up, anyway, we got business for you to look at.'

'You're asking many questions there, Nida,' Squall smiled, as he edged towards the metal rail that separated him from a deadly fall. 'First of all, things are going as well as they can down below. All the SeeDs should be organised together within ten minutes at the most. Yes, I wasn't feeling very well earlier. Let's just say that I needed a couple of hours away from all the attention.'

'Not enough sleep then, huh?'

'Partly, yeah. It's cleared up now, though, so don't expect me to cut you any slack today. I'm afraid it's Commander Leonhart who's back in charge again. I'm going to need you to speed up the Garden's engines as soon as possible. Where are the binoculars?'

'Right here,' Nida replied, reaching into his right pocket and handing the pair to Squall. 'Take a good look now - you won't get another one. Good news, anyway. I heard about the situation from those three,' he gestured towards Zell, Selphie and Irvine with a free hand, 'so I thought, why don't I get the third set of engines warming up now? Y'know, just in case. So, anyway, my point is, that's all done for you now. We're ready to blast off at full speed as soon as you say so.'

'Good work, Nida. Do it as soon as I give the word. I need to take a look at how things are on the Galbadian side first.'

'Yes, sir. The co-ordinates you need are –2500 and 560... I think. Well, you can see for yourself.'

'Thanks.'

Squall raised the binoculars to his eyes and scanned the barren landscape eagerly for any signs of life. The continent of Galbadia had always proved to be a gloomy one. Only a small percentage of the land area had been built over by cities and villages, and most of the rest had been left charred and lifeless by the many wars of the G-Army. He hoped that the battle he was about to enter wouldn't contribute to this too much. He fiddled expertly with the binoculars' controls until he was confident that he was looking at the exact co-ordinates that Nida had given him. What he saw made his jaw drop.

Awaiting his worried eyes, just three hundred metres away from the town where his and Rinoa's fates had properly bought them together, were rows and rows of menacing blue and silver uniforms. Irvine had been right – collectively, the unit looked like a virus, infecting and polluting the surrounding landscape with every breath that they took. He hadn't forgotten how intimidating the G-Army had looked during their assault on Dollet City, and they hadn't done a lot to change that image since then. Each soldier was standing orderly in his respective line, stock still, with his weapon ready in hand and his eyes pointed forward. Judging by the occasional red uniform that showed itself among the sea of blue, this unit had six commanders, equalling that of Garden's defensive force. There were also, to his surprise, five armoured battle tanks squatting behind the back lines of the thousand-strong unit. He had fought these things before, back when he was still a student at the Garden – they were beatable, sure, but not to be underestimated. Maybe things could get trickier on the battlefield than he had anticipated.

To Squall, it was a significant and stirring sight, one that would have roused him to battle for SeeD any day of the week. To many of his soldiers, it would have been a terrifying one.

His eyes moved slowly up and down the regimented lines of G-army foes. Each was in exactly the same position as the last – the recognised fighting stance of any trained soldier. To Squall, it looked as though the unit could launch its attack on Timber at any second. And, right now, he didn't want to waste a single one of them.

It was time for the battle of Timber to begin.

Squall took the binoculars away from his eyes, and dropped them sharply to the floor.

'Nida,' he ordered, in a clear and commanding voice, 'do it. Fire up the engines, now.'

'Yes, sir. At full power, we'll be at Timber within the next eight minutes. Better hurry up, Squall. We ain't got long.'

Squall took a deep breath, and gathered his nerves. It was time. It was time to either put up, or shut up. His hands trembled slightly as the familiar feeling of anxiety reared its ugly head. Every soldier felt a little fear before they headed into the heat of battle. It was only natural, and certainly nothing to be ashamed of, or regretted. If it was the fear of death that kept a man alive on the battlefield, when all the odds pointed the other way, then so be it. True, some felt its sharp sting more than the older, more seasoned soldiers, but they were all the same in that they felt it nonetheless. It was what made them human.

Squall picked up the intercom microphone, and turned the makeshift system on to full power. The initial feedback was enough to make them all wince.

He cleared his throat.

'Everybody, this is your commander, Squall, speaking. We have an urgent situation that you all need to listen to.'

My, my. Only one more short chapter to write, and the battle will have begun. And how much am I going to enjoy writing that.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed. It's encouraging, it really is.


	8. Wakeups, Shakeups and Makeups

The ultimate, top three, best sounding couple names in Final Fantasy 8 fan fiction

(decided by me, but I'm open to other thoughts and suggestions)...

Reifer (Rinoa/Seifer)

Squellphie (Squall/Selphie)

Squrvine (Squall/Irvine)

Feedback on this would be interesting. Enjoy!

* * *

In every room, corner and corridor of Balamb Garden, in every dormitory and at every cafeteria table, the volume level had fallen to zero. Every pair of SeeD ears was now listening anxiously to what Squall had to say. The pairs of flirting teenagers on the main corridor bench suddenly lost interest in each other. Quistis quickly forgot which spells she had told her nervous student to junction to Elemental Defence. In the Garden training centre, a rookie SeeD took his attention away from a quick warm-up battle to listen to the announcement. He deeply regretted it when, a second later, he was swatted heavily around the ears by an impatient Grat, and forced to return to the fray.

Some people were staring absent-mindedly ahead, as many people do when their mind is focused elsewhere. Some had their eyes fixed on the loudspeakers through which Squall's speech was about to echo around every wall in the Garden. They were all, however, awaiting this news with dread. Had the time finally come for them to go to war?

Back up on the main bridge, Squall could sense the amount of attention being sent his way. He cleared his throat again nervously. It was always hard to think of what to say when you were being put on the spot over an intercom. Sure, he had had to make these sort of announcements thousands of times. He had even delivered a speech – the very one that had roused SeeD to victory against Galbadia Garden – completely off the top of his head. He had put that down to lucky thinking, and adrenaline.

It never, however, seemed to get any easier. He was thankful that this particular speech, due to the circumstances, was going to have to be short and sweet. He was five minutes away from what, perhaps, could be the first chapter in the book of the Third War. He needed to get into a fighting mindset, not a creative one.

'I'm afraid none of us have much time left now, so I'll be as brief as I can be. It appears that the G-Army has reached Timber quicker than we predicted, and they're right now within attacking distance of the nearest buildings. We can't take any chances with this. At the moment, we think that they are preparing their soldiers for a full-out assault, but it looks as though they could launch their attack at any second. This means that SeeD needs to have an active presence within Timber as soon as possible.

'I need all SeeDs that are involved in today's events to assemble at the main Garden entrance within the next five minutes. In exactly eight minutes from now, we will enter Timber by the method described earlier, so make sure that you have at least one Float spell in your magic inventory. The draw point we set up in the cafeteria should still be open and available - make sure you use it if you have to.'

'Squall!'

Squall spun around on his heels to find that Nida was pacing the floor frantically.

'What?'

'We'll be at Timber in seven minutes time! Wrap it up and get down there!'

'Okay.'

Squall returned his attention once again to the microphone, completely unaware of the bombshell that he had just inadvertently dropped onto the entire population of Balamb Garden. The clock, it seemed, had ticked away at twice the speed that he thought it would - and a million times faster than he'd intended it to.

'All the units and sub-units that were organised earlier will remain the same. As I made clear earlier, any unauthorised, last minute swapping is strictly forbidden. Everybody should know what their role in the battle'll be, and whereabouts they should wait at the main entrance. We have roughly seven minutes left now until the battle begins. I'll make it as clear as I can - this is not a test, or a practice exercise. This is the real thing. So, get ready as quickly as you can! Get ready to give them hell out here!'

With those last words of encouragement left bouncing around the Garden's clean, stone walls, the intercom system clicked off again. The deathly silence that it left in its wake was uncanny.

It was as though somebody, at that exact moment, had decided to take a freeze frame snapshot of the SeeDs in the cafeteria. Not a sound was made for the first five seconds after Squall's announcement ended. Everybody had been paralysed by the shock of what they had just been told. Their brains had suddenly been overloaded with orders. Whatever food had been placed in the microwave behind the counter was rapidly becoming inedible. The diet soda being dispensed was overflowing and unnoticed. All the pairs of eyes throughout the room were still focused onto the loudspeakers above the double doors. All that the loudspeakers could do was stare right back.

It was only when Quistis took the initiative to remember exactly where and who she was, and what had just been asked of her, that she snapped back into full consciousness. The commander in her had awoken.

'You heard him!' she shouted at the tops of her lungs. Her voice, at that moment, would have been powerful enough to rival Squall's. Every pair of eyes shifted at once onto her, like an army of robots responding to incoming data. 'What are you all waiting for!? Move out, now!'

That certainly got everybody moving. Chairs were carelessly flung aside and tables overturned as three hundred pairs of feet made a sudden break for the exit. Each was afraid to be the last pair left in the room. The double doors weren't nearly wide enough to accommodate the inevitable scrum that had formed there, as twenty people struggled to get out of the cafeteria at the same time that a hundred more were pushing into their backs. It was like watching an army of seven year olds, all of them trying to break through the school doors on a Friday afternoon. With one vital difference. They were heading out to a day that could only bring misery and warfare, rather than an unbridled weekend of rest and enjoyment.

Quistis was surprised at what a simple order from her could instigate. They wouldn't have moved with the same agility and desperation if she had had two tonnes of plastic explosive strapped to her chest.

She took a second to clear her throat, and her head, before she hurried away to join the carnage in the outside corridor. After all, she had much more to worry about in the looming battle than the rest of them.

Meanwhile, atop the main command bridge, just as Nida was rechecking and adjusting the Garden's controls, Squall turned around slowly to find Zell, Irvine and Selphie still standing faithfully behind him. He was eternally grateful for the unwavering loyalty that they had shown him, dating right from the first day that they had all been together at Galbadia Garden. _'Say something, Squall,'_ he thought frantically. _'Just say anything.'_

'Well, guys,' he announced, 'this is it. It's time.'

He sincerely hoped that each of them, like him, had begun to feel the unavoidable nerves of warfare slowly creeping up on them. As though they read each other's minds, his three companions nodded solemnly in response.

Silence, with no effort at all, could say everything that any of them would have wanted to say at that moment. There was suddenly no need for any encouraging words, or lifting speeches, or mood-lightening jokes, to be exchanged between the four of them. They all knew what it was they had to do, and how to do it – and they were ready to do it with their all.

'So come on!' Squall roared, 'Let's go!'

'Yeah!' yelled Selphie, 'So let's get a move on!'

And with that, they all ran as fast as they could towards the elevator, ready to face whatever the day ahead would throw at them.

* * *

The main Garden elevator descended to the ground floor a lot quicker than it had come up. Maybe it was because none of its occupants were looking forward to what awaited them when the doors opened.

'Quistis!'

Quistis spun around from where she'd been patrolling up and down the orderly lines of her unit. There wasn't anything else for her to do at the moment - Garden's army was ready. All of the thousand members of SeeD had somehow managed to assemble themselves into perfect order. She was glad to think that she was partly responsible for the speed at which this had happened. The scene was the same as it had been half an hour ago, when Squall had made his successful rallying speech. The only differences were that everybody was facing in the opposite direction, and that the looks of enthusiasm had been replaced by expressions of dread.

She was relieved to be greeted with the sight of her four best friends racing down the stairs towards her. It was good to have their commander back again, back and ready to take control. Lord help them if she could do that.

It was at that moment that she was struck by a random and badly timed thought... she had totally forgotten about the fifth. What about Rinoa? How could she have forgotten about Rinoa? Was that how worried she had been about today?

Quistis suddenly wondered how the last three hours had played out for her best friend. She hoped with all her heart that they had been optimistic. She hoped Rinoa hadn't just made that promise lightly. In fact, the two of them hadn't crossed paths again since Quistis had finally found her, alone and highly emotional, on the balcony of the Garden bridge. She wondered what Rinoa had been doing since... what she had been thinking about.

Well, at least she had done her part. She had tried her best. All she could do now was hope that it had paid off for everybody - especially for Squall. He needed her now more than he needed anything else, except maybe his Gunblade.

'_. . . Okay.'_

'_Hmm?'_

'_I said okay. I'll do it. I'll make up with Squall.'_

The conversation that the two women had shared in the early hours of the morning quickly replayed in her head. She hoped, she seriously prayed, perhaps beyond all reason, that Rinoa had kept her word to her, and done the right thing. It wasn't like her at all to do otherwise, anyway. Sure, she was unpredictable, but she wasn't unfaithful. No, she definitely wasn't. She'd had to take her advice.

But still, wherever there was Rinoa, doubt usually followed her, like an unwanted admirer. That was what worried her right now. However hard she had tried, she just couldn't be certain something would come of it.

She snapped out of her flashback as Squall, Zell, Selphie and Irvine reached her. All four of them were wearing the same grim, determined expression of the seasoned fighter.

'Squall,' she began, 'I'm glad you got down here fast. Everybody's been ordered into their units already. You should have seen how they all moved when you make that announcement.'

Squall returned her playful comment with a forced smile. 'I know,' he replied. 'I wish things had played out differently. Zell, Selphie, Irvine,' he ordered calmly, 'check 'em. You know what to do.'

Irvine nodded curtly, tipping his hat in acknowledgement. Whenever he had the chance...

'Sure thing, Commander. All right, everybody, listen up!' he suddenly shouted. He was clearly using all of the strength his voice box could muster. 'The time's finally come to get it on! The three of us are gonna walk down the lines and check everybody's magic stock for Float spells. Don't be disappointing us now, you're all SeeDs here! Hold out your weapons for us to check!'

Irvine's orders did not immediately go unrivalled. A tall, muscular SeeD, in a move that he would seriously regret to his dying day, quickly nudged his neighbour in the ribs, and cocked his head onto one side to exchange whispers.

'Look at that guy,' he muttered bitterly. 'Who the hell does he think he is? Walkin' round here orderin' the rest of us about. Some big shot from Galbadia Garden, I heard. Transferred here jus' before we trashed 'em. He's a SeeD, just the same as everyone. What right does he have to look down at us – oww!'

The SeeDs on either side of him burst out laughing. Despite his cocky personality, the unfortunate youth couldn't help but cry out in shock as he felt a pair of fingers squeeze tightly around his ear lobe. Irvine didn't make much effort to relieve the pressure quickly, either. In fact, he didn't make any at all.

'Oww! What the – what the hell –'

'Let me just say this,' the confident cowboy hissed menacingly into the ear in question. 'I'm here now because I've risked more than you can imagine for your commander. So jus' wait 'til you've done the same before you start questioning me. When you've fought to the death and put your life on the line for a guy who left you to go to Esthar with his girlfriend on his back, and when you've commanded the greatest counter-attack ever made against your home Garden, and when you've been to the future through time compression, and wasted the most powerful Sorceress of all time, and lived to tell the tale . . . then you've got the right to stand here and take some responsibility. You got that!?'

The youth yelped in pain again as Irvine's fingers began to slowly turn in the air, taking his ear with them.

'Oww! Okay, okay, I got it! I got it! I'm sorry! Just – just let go of me!'

'Certainly,' Irvine grinned, making sure to give the kid's ear a good twist before he did so. 'My pleasure.'

Smirking from ear to ear, he quickly turned towards his girlfriend, like a dog about to receive a reward. Selphie, on the other hand, was none too impressed.

'Irvine Kinneas!' she spat at him, dragging him forcefully to the front rows of the army. She tried not to listen to the giggles that followed her. 'Behave yourself! We haven't got time for you to try and look like a big man in front of me! Start checking them, now!'

'What?' Irvine replied mockingly. 'I would've thought a nice girl like you would've gone wild for a bit of authority in a man. Last time I make any effort to spice things up.'

'Irvine, I'm warning you now, just –'

'Okay, okay. Yes, ma'am. I'm on it.'

The three of them began to systematically move across the front row of nervous faces, glancing briefly at each person's weapon as they did so. Zell still hadn't stopped killing himself with laughter from what he'd just seen Irvine do.

'Hey, that's cool. Good goin' there, sweetie.'

'Irvine,' Selphie whispered to her boyfriend menacingly. He quickly moved on from the attractive, blonde SeeD girl whose nunchukas he had been 'checking'. 'Get this through your ego if you can. Squall's expecting a lot from us today. So am I. I hope you're gonna start taking things a bit more seriously out there.'

She'd done it. She'd touched a nerve. Irvine's cheesy, trademark grin quickly erased itself from his face as he took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly harder and colder.

'Listen, Selphie,' he replied, as the two of them briskly moved on to the second row, 'don't stop me from doing what I do, okay? Do you really think I'm worryin' any less than you about what's gonna happen in five minutes? We've all got our own special ways of dealin' with this stuff, you know. I know it gets a bit – well, okay, very – annoying when I do this sorta thing. But it's just what I do. It's my way of calming myself down. You get my drift?'

He had said all of this very quickly in one breath, as though afraid she'd actually hear him. He shook his head, and immediately went back to checking each SeeD's magic stock for Float spells. Selphie noticed that he avoided catching eye contact with the more appealing of the girls that he passed.

They didn't speak again until they were halfway done. She couldn't bear the tension between them anymore.

'Listen, Irvy,' she began in a whisper. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean t' say you weren't bein' serious. I know you are, underneath all that crap you call good fashion sense.'

She caught Irvine's smile out of the corner of her eye. It encouraged her to plough on.

'I'm sorry, okay? I don't wanna fall out with you now. You know I love you, right? And if that means accepting this stupid ritual you do, then I'll do it.'

She quickly felt Irvine reply to her apology with a warm, passionate kiss onto her cheek.

'Hey,' he whispered into her ear softly, 'it's okay. And I'm sorry for always being the jerk around here.'

Selphie shot a mischievous smile at him. 'Okay. Accepted.'

'Did I ever tell you how sexy you look in that little yellow dress? Damn, I'd kill to be in your unit any day.'

'Irvine!'

'Yeah, yeah. Okay. Hey, you, did you even bother to check your magic in the first place? You're a SeeD, for Christ's sake. Here, take a Float spell from mine. Jesus. Don't make me have to come by you again.'

Meanwhile, Squall and Quistis were talking softly together behind the back rows of his army. Squall stole another brief glance at his watch, and grimaced.

'How're you feeling, Quistis? Still ready for this?'

Quistis sighed with the weight of her anxiety.

'Don't speak too soon, Squall. You may just change my mind.'

'Very funny. So, anyway, Commander Trepe, let's have a quick run through. What orders will you be giving to your unit for this battle?'

Quistis responded immediately with gusto. The words seemed to roll gracefully off her tongue.

'Lead all Groups towards the central Timber bridge. Have Group A guard and defend over the west point, Group B over the east train station entrance, and Group C stop all incoming soldiers from attacking over the train tracks.'

'Good. At least your memory's still working. And try not to worry too much, Quistis. I know you'll make me proud.'

'Thank you again, Squall. Thank you so much for this.'

'Hey, what did I say? Wait until you're out there in the heat of it all before you thank me.'

'I guess you're right. How much time do we have?'

'A little over four minutes. Nida's going to broadcast the message over the intercom when it's time. I wonder what –'

'Squall!'

The unexpected cry came from somewhere behind Quistis. A look of sudden surprise formed on her face as she saw Squall glancing eagerly over her shoulder with a similar look on his. The surprised expression, however, quickly turned to one of utter glee. She didn't need to turn her head to know who it was that that voice belonged to.

'Listen, Squall,' she added quickly, 'I'll check over each individual unit one more time. Just to be sure that – Squall?'

Her words were lost on her commander. Squall had frantically darted past her as soon as he recognised who it was running towards him from the Garden dormitories. He hadn't so much as glanced at her. She sighed again, softer this time, and hurried away briskly towards the front rows of SeeDs, where Zell, Selphie and Irvine were now patiently waiting. All three pairs of eyes were glued dumbly to the back of a fur-lined, black leather jacket, as it moved quickly away from the back row of soldiers with a body attached.

As soon as Squall had taken in the trailing blue cardigan, the pale skin, the silky, jet-black hair and the pure emotion in a pair of dark brown eyes, he had started running. Everything else around him – the thousand odd soldiers waiting for his next command, the looming encounter at Timber – had been suddenly pushed aside. He ran as fast as he could. He didn't stop running, in fact until he was standing half a foot away from Rinoa Heartilly. The contact between their gazes was unbreakable.

Squall's initial feelings were a complicated mixture of surprise, apprehensiveness, and unbridled joy. There was a second of silence between them as they both caught their breaths. Neither of them seemed to know how to begin. Squall decided to make the first move - it was the least that he owed her right now after all that had passed between them so far today.

'Rinoa,' he breathed. 'Rinoa – what are you doing here? I thought you wer –'

Whatever Squall was about to say, Rinoa never found out. She forced a hand over his mouth and blocked out his voice, never for a moment taking her eyes off his. She had taken a lot of time to build up the courage for this, and she was damned if Squall was going to break it with whatever he said first. It was her that needed to do the talking.

'Listen, Squall,' she began, in a fragile voice, 'I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry for doing what I did. I was just – oh, it was reckless, and it was downright stupid of me. No surprise there, huh? I don't know why I did it in the first place. I just –'

Squall gently took Rinoa's hand away from his mouth.

'Rinoa, I –'

'No, Squall, I have to say this now, or I'll never have the heart to say it again! I made a mess of things earlier today. I was so blinded with trying to help you in whatever way I could that I didn't realise how it'd make you feel. I just – I just wanted to do something for you, you know? I just felt so, so helpless - standing there and watching you just, just fall apart. Fall apart in front of me! But – but I know now, it was stupid of me. I – I –'

Her voice began to falter at the same time that her hands started trembling, and a shiny film of tears formed over the soft surface of her eyes. Squall quickly took her hand in his.

'Rinoa,' he breathed. 'You don't have to say anything. It wasn't you that was in the wrong. It was me. I knew it deep down as soon as the words came out of my mouth. Nobody has the right to treat anyone the way I did you. You were trying to help me. It was me, trying to play the tough guy that was wrong. Not – not you.'

Rinoa's voice was on the verge of breaking when she spoke again.

'You – you really think that?'

Squall's intense stare was unmatchable.

'Rinoa... I knew I was wrong right away. I've known it every second since it happened. Do you know what I've been thinking these past hours, when I've had the chance? How I wish I could set back the clock and do things differently. How I wish I hadn't been such a jerk to lose my temper as easily as that. How –'

'S-Squall, you're wrong. It was me, me being such a stupid...'

Squall smiled, but it wasn't a smile of amusement. It was a warm, loving smile, a smile that he always reserved for her, and her alone.

'I guess we're both idiots a lot of the time,' he said calmly. He even chanced a small grin. 'Boy, what a pair we must make, huh?'

The pent up feelings in Rinoa had reduced her voice to a splutter.

'Squall – you can't just say – you – oh God, Squall, I love you so damn much! And I don't know what I'd do if I lost you today! If the last thing I ever said to you was...'

But Rinoa suddenly lost the power to speak as she felt Squall's arms throw themselves around her, and pull her into a tight embrace across his chest. She could do nothing but sob, loudly and uncontrollably, into the depths of his white t-shirt. All her powers were useless against the intimate warmth that flowed between them. It was too much for her to handle. All of this passion, this tenderness, this comfort, this fear. . . it was like feeling the greatest and the worst feeling in the world, both at once. It excited her at the same time as it paralysed her. It comforted her at the same time as it scared her. And she lost track of the time that she had spent, shielding herself from her emotions, in the one place that she knew that no harm could ever come to her... in the centre of Squall's embrace.

The moment, as most perfect moments are, was too good to last. Squall's eyes sharply opened again as the familiar static crackle filled the main Garden hall once again. The intercom system was up and running. To Squall, that could only mean one thing... they were out of time.

Sure enough, the high-pitched voice of Nida soon followed.

'_Squall! You've got exactly three minutes now until its time! Get your troops sorted!'_

The intercom quickly snapped off again with an audible clunk. The noise jerked Rinoa out of her reverie. Her sobs had steadily quietened to small snuffles and gasps here and there, but the tears continued to pour down her face as though a dam of emotions had suddenly been broken.

'I'm so worried, Squall,' she whispered. Her voice was muffled from within Squall's arms. 'I can't help but think what could happen to you, or to Zell, or Selphie, or Quistis or Irvine. I – I don't want to lose any of you.'

Squall sighed heavily, but it was not a sigh of impatience. It was a sigh of anxiety, of understanding. He moved his arms down to link intimately with Rinoa's, and withdrew from the embrace, gazing deep into her eyes.

'Rinoa,' he said, 'you're not alone. I'm scared too. Everybody's scared. Zell's scared, Selphie's scared. Even Irvine's scared, I think. Good people are going to die today because of what I've done.'

Rinoa's snuffles had mostly died down by now. She gazed up at Squall with worry in her eyes.

'But – but it's what you have to do, right? It's what's best in the end that matters.'

Squall grimaced. It was a difficult job to give someone an insight into a commander's conscience. It couldn't be done in five minutes, let alone the one that he had been given in that moment.

'It's easy to say that. It's easy to say lots of things. Following through with the things you say is a bit trickier, though. It's not so easy when you think about each person that's gone. All those people with relatives, and families, friends, a life story behind them... all those stories are just ended. I don't think there's anybody who can do that without questioning themselves. Well, maybe Seifer could've, but...'

'Seifer – Seifer was nothing better than a murderer. Just a cold-hearted murderer. You're a million times the man he was, Squall. That was what made me realise – just how selfish I was. How stupid - if – if you died today –'

'Don't say that. I'm not going anywhere. I'll survive to the day when I make Massery beg for his life.'

Squall leaned his face in closer to Rinoa's. He could almost taste the salty tears running over her skin. Their eyelashes were almost batting against each other's.

'I'm not going anywhere, Rinoa.'

Then he leaned himself in even closer to kiss her. It was like magic, like kissing her again for the very first time. It sent electric shocks shooting down his spine and made him tingle to the very surface of his skin with warmth. He wished it could've lasted forever, just like every time before that their lips had met. Now, however, was a time when he could only delude himself with wishes of eternity. He had to live through today. The thought of her face, her lips, and most of all, her touch, would keep him alive. He would live to see her again.

'I love you, Rinoa. I love you too much. That's why I didn't want to get you involved in anything today. I couldn't bear to nearly lose you again.'

'I had you around to save me, remember? All I have to do is scream, and you come running. You – you've always been my hero.'

She giggled softly, the tears now rolling smoothly over her chin and down her neck.

'I love you too, Squall. That's what's important. Not any stupid little argument we have, they come and go. My love for you won't. I'll never abandon you. I hope that, that thought helps you when you're out there.'

She pulled him in to her again for one last, uplifting kiss.

'Now – now you've gotta do what you've gotta do. I'll be here for you if – when you get back. I hope – I hope there's something you can do for me as well.'

'What is it?'

Rinoa's smile shone through the tears that stained her face. 'Go kick his ass.'

Squall grinned mischievously. 'Rinoa,' he replied, 'how can any man disobey an order like that?'

* * *

The restless feeling continued to spread along every row and column of the G-Army unit, and it was long since the soldiers' eyes had begun shifting towards each other with looks of confusion and bewilderment. What was this certain time that they were waiting for? They could've started the attack on the city, so tantalisingly close to them and yet so far away, at least an hour ago. The nearest buildings were, to some of the more athletic members of the unit, a stone's throw away.

One soldier, his hands shaking now from the silence and the tension of the past hour, could bear it no more. He dropped his weapon quietly onto the dewy grass and turned his head to his partner.

'This sucks,' he hissed. 'What the hell are we doing now? SeeD are getting' all fired up to fight us now, I bet. Massery'd better be paying us big time for this.'

His neighbour chose wisely not to respond. He knew, as did most of the men surrounding him, that their Colonel Massery was not the sort of man to placate, let alone anger. God have mercy on the men that dared defy him. What would any of them do, the ones that survived today, if the thought of any payments suddenly slipped Aifel Massery's mind? 'Not a damn thing' would be fairly close to the answer.

It was just at that moment that the soldier shrugged his head in annoyance, and picked up his weapon again like a pouting child, that the clouds in the sky ahead were either pushed aside or chose to get out of the way. A deep rumbling made the earth beneath the unit's feet quake. Something large, something enormous, was definitely coming their way.

Since there was no other object in existence of the Garden's size that regularly flew over warring continents, there was nothing that its movements could be compared to in a simile. In an analogy, however, let's just say that it was the hungry eagle to the terrified earthworms of soldiers on the grass. The unit's commander, however, was not an author of any kind. All he could think of was that it moved as it did.

In fact, that wasn't strictly true. Another thought awoke instictively in his mind - Balamb Garden was now visible to the unit. This meant that it was time for their attack on Timber to begin.

It was time for war.

The waves of his booming voice rolled and bounced across the bulk of the unit, not caring to lose a decibel of volume as they went.

'Attack! Launch the full assault! Invade the city! Do not stop until SeeD is conquered, and the city is taken! Go!'

* * *

As Squall dashed away from the lonely figure of Rinoa Heartilly, after they had finished exchanging farewells, SeeD had only two minutes of peace remaining. If you could call it that. Barring Zell, Selphie, Irvine and Quistis, who were stood to attention near the Garden's front entrance with the other four commanders, none of the other thousand people in the room were aware of what had just taken place. Even if they were, they would have been hard pressed to make sense of it.

Squall strolled confidently between the columns of tense SeeDs to where they were stood. Irvine softly nudged Selphie in the ribs.

'I take it they're sorted now?'

Selphie's girlish grin couldn't be hidden for long. 'Sure looks like it!' she gushed. 'Now that's romance for you. I wish, I just wish, that there's a nice man out there somewhere like that for me. I wish he'd show me that kind of passion someday.'

'Don't get your hopes up, sweetie. I doubt anyone in the world would put up with you for too long.'

Irvine glanced at Squall as he continued to cut the distance between them. The slightest of smirks appeared on his face.

'Hey, Sefie.'

Selphie sighed. 'What do you want now?'

'How good is your imagination?'

'What?'

'Imagine a guy has a lady friend over to his place. Y'know, for a meal, or a movie, or something slushy like that. I know not many guys have done that for you in the past, but jus' try to picture it for a minute, okay?'

'Very funny... big jerk. Where are you going with this?'

'You'll see. So, they spend a couple o' hours quality time together. They have some drinks, and they talk, and they get along. And, then, you know, after all that stuff's outta the way, it gets down to a whole night of even better quality time between them... if you catch my drift.'

'Eeew, I get the idea. Is this some kinda rubbish joke or something?'

'No, no, it's going somewhere. Now cut to the next morning, the morning after. They wake up together as the sun rises, maybe spend a little more time with each other, an' then the guy gets up and goes to work. Do you know how he walks when he walks out of his front door and down the street?'

Selphie was non-plussed. 'How?'

'_Just like_ _that,'_ Irvine replied simply, nodding his head towards their fast-approaching leader. 'I mean, look at him. He couldn't look more pleased if Rinoa was stood there naked.'

Selphie couldn't help but giggle. 'If you say so. Not that you'd know much about it. Always jokin' 'bout everything, Irvy. Shouldn't we just be glad that they're back together now, and we all lived happily ever after?'

'If only,' Irvine shrugged. 'I sure am glad Quistis got to talk to her, though, you're right about that. Can't have a man's mind on something else when he's on the 'field. She sure picked the dramatic moment to do it, though. Guess that's Rinoa for you through an' through.'

Squall, meanwhile, was addressing the other five commanders of the SeeD units.

'Are we ready?' he inquired to the circle that had instinctively gathered around him. 'Reiken?'

'Check.'

'Gilmore?'

'All ready.'

'Beasley?'

'Ready.'

'Simons?'

'All clear.'

'Quistis?'

'All ready, Squall.'

'Okay. It's time. If I don't get the chance to talk to you again, good luck from me. Make SeeD proud, all right? Okay, everybody!' He turned around to the loyal army assembled behind him and shouted the last sentence, stepping backwards towards the main Garden entrance as he did so. The SeeDs that were at ease immediately stood to attention. 'In one minute's time, Nida's going to give us the word! This is it! We've got no more time to lose now, and we need to talk our places! If my unit could just move closer to the entrance, and get prepared, we'd all be ready to make the jump when the time comes! Commander Gilmore's unit should be immediately behind mine, followed by Commander Simons' unit, then Commander Reiken's, then Commander Beasley's, and then Commander Trepe's unit! Keep your ranks as they are! Let's move, guys! We don't want the G-Army to have any sort of advantage over us before everything starts!'

The sound of two hundred pairs of feet hurrying forward echoed dramatically throughout the Hall. As the first line of men and women approached him, some far younger than he had been when he'd first fought for SeeD, Squall could read each of their expressions clearly. They were all the same; a tinge of fear, a scent of frustration and a sudden wave of eagerness. It was understandable, for Squall anyway. They were done with all the waiting, and all the tension, that the past hour had brought them. They couldn't bear any more of the sitting around the cafeteria, drumming their fingers nervously on the table edges. The adrenaline was kicking in. They were ready to get their hands dirty. They were ready to give the Galbadians hell.

As the last few lines began to shuffle forwards, Squall was busy surveying the scene seven hundred feet below them at ground level. His eyes suddenly concentrated. He could see Timber very clearly from where he was stood – every tower, every building and the streets in between. He could also, to his shock, now see explosions taking chunks out of rooftops, and legions of G-Army soldiers hurrying through the cobbled streets. He was mortified.

'Jesus,' he breathed, turning towards Irvine, 'we're too late. We've been too slow! They've begun their assault!'

Irvine grimaced.

'Damn,' he replied simply, flicking a strand of hair aside, 'you're right. They ain't holding back for anyone. We're lucky it's now, though. They could've started this at least an hour ago. Don't worry, Squall. There's nothin' we can do now. Let's just sit tight and wait for Nida's word.'

Squall turned his head away from Irvine's, and swore under his breath.

'You're right. It still doesn't help us one bit.'

'Well, it can't be changed now, right? So they're gonna have an advantage of, what, three minutes? Big deal. Not exactly a battle-clinching twist of fate.'

'It's still an advantage for them.'

'It sure is. We'd best give them more than hell when we crash the party to make up for it.'

Squall laughed. The sound of his own mirth suddenly seemed alien to him.

'I wish I could see things as you do, Irvine. How are you feeling?'

Irvine gave the thought the smallest of shrugs, and shuffled his feet.

'Hey, you know how it is. We're all feelin' a bit of the nerves here, but we'll deal with it. I'm dealin' with it. I'm cool as can be. What 'bout you?'

Squall grinned as he gave the notion some thought.

'I – couldn't feel much better than I do right now, given the circumstances.'

'Ready for the Third War?'

'If it comes to it, I'll meet it. Aifel Massery won't get the better of us. We'll see this through to crush him.'

'Leave some of him for me to pound, will you?'

'I sure will.'

There was a final ten-second period of calm, as the two men stood confidently side-by-side. Squall closed his eyes as if in prayer.

_I'll live to see you again, Rinoa._

He took a deep breath through his nostrils, savouring the taste of the air as though he would never get the chance to breathe it again.

_I love you._

And with that thought, it began.

'_Squall! It's time! We've reached the Garden's optimal position! Go for it, guys! Good luck to all of you! Show them what SeeD is made of!'_

Squall didn't turn around. If he had done, and seen the faces of the people who wouldn't survive that day, he might never have jumped at all. As it were, he sprinted the two yards to the very edge of Balamb Garden, and leapt gracefully through the morning air, his voice being whisked away on the breeze.

'FLOAT!'

At the front line of Squall's unit, Zell, Selphie and Irvine were the next to follow him, as always. They gave each other a brief nod before they did so.

'Float!'

'FLOAT!'

'Float!'

* * *

As her four best friends jumped through the air and shouted the necessary spell, all of the attention was quickly drawn away from Rinoa Heartilly. She was now stood at the bottom of the set of stairs, waving half-heartedly as the tears dried on her crimson cheeks. She didn't know what was going to happen that day. She didn't know whether she would ever see Squall's face again. However, she knew one thing for certain. Every little helps. And if her help was going to tip the balance in SeeD's favour, how small the advantage was, she was going to help him in whatever way she could.

'Good luck, Squall,' she whispered in a faltering voice. 'I know you'll make them proud. I'll be watching you from afar.'

She placed one shaking hand into a pocket on her blue cardigan, and slowly withdrew from it three items. She could have caught her breath in her hand as she stared down at them. A dark cloak that could cover her from her head to her toes... a pair of advanced, hi-tech binoculars... and a radio transmitter.

'I love you, Squall,' she breathed, 'I love you more than I've loved anything. I hope you'll understand why I'm doing this.'

The Garden Hall was emptying quickly. Rinoa watched with half an eye as row after row of identical green uniforms took the run and jump that might lead them to their inevitable deaths. If she were a passing bystander, she would have felt sorry for them at that moment. She would have cared, just like she'd cared when she was the 'princess' of the Forest Owls. As it were, she was blind to whatever it was they were feeling. She had her own role today to worry about.

When the moment came that she saw a flash blonde hair flying back, as Quistis leapt from the Garden platform, she straightened up rigidly. Her time to act had come. No-one else involved in the events that day would notice what she was about to do. The attention was, after all, now away from her. As it was, none of the SeeDs in Quistis' unit noticed a hunched figure, wrapped in a black cloak, tag onto the left end of the back line. This figure took the run and jump along with the rest of the soldiers – in the air, however, she turned, and the path she took was suddenly very different to theirs. The topmost cliffs of the Shenand Hills awaited her.


End file.
